Learning to ‘See’
by Kakashifan727
Summary: AR (Koro/Aguri rom!fluff!comfort) A change of heart leads the mutating Reaper to escape the facility with little bloodshed; Aguri was saved from her untimely demise thanks to the new powers of the Reaper, who wishes to live a peaceful life, having given up killing. Sadly, Yanagisawa only wants revenge for the humiliation, and he will stop at nothing to get it
1. Rebirth

**An: Bit of a rough start here, Sorry. Will get better later as ideas develop. Reviews do help. "..." at ending paragraphs indicates a scene transition. Seemed like the ship was in trouble~**

"Yes...that's what I heard. Please, Mr.Reaper, we need to figure out how to get you out of there. You'll die otherwise!" The short haired woman pleaded, her hands pushing futilely against the glass that separated the two of them. He only gave her a small smile, his coal black eyes seemingly sad as they took in her frowning face.

"...It's okay...Don't hurt yourself for my sake; I'm nothing more than a murderer..." His voice was calm and soft as he said this, making her heart ache all the more. She had spent much of her nights this past year talking to this supposedly dangerous man; the so called assassin, The God of Death. Yet, she was not afraid of him, despite knowing he was strong enough to kill her. If he was truly as evil as his fiancée claimed; then why hadn't he used her to escape and dispose of her yet? Unlike Yanagisawa, who found every attempt to hurt and belittle her while they were together.

She didn't know...Aguri only knew that she wanted to help this poor man who had been forced into his cruel lifestyle; who knew nothing else aside from his world of violence and killing. She had to do something, but what? What could a simple junior high teacher like her do in a scenario like this? She wasn't too sure, but Aguri knew she couldn't leave the man to his impending death. She ran toward the security monitor, peering into it and seeing that it was indeed turned off, like it usually was at this time. A sound like glass being scratched made her look over to the man's cell, tiny lines being made in the divider.

The so called Reaper walked out of his cell through a circular hole in the glass, his bare feet plodding softly against the laboratory's floor. He blinked, his face an emotionless mask for a moment as the tiny white threads retracted back into his short, black hair. He turned to her, and all the teacher could do was stare at him in awe.

"You...escaped? Then go! If you use your new abilities, then you have a better chance of escaping..." She says, the man shaking his head as he slowly walks toward her. She could feel an odd warmth coming from this man, one that held no malicious intent whatsoever.

"No...I've already thought of doing so; it would require me to hurt many people and put them in harms way...I don't want to kill anyone anymore...At least, I want to _try_ living a peaceful life from here on out." The Reaper states, the woman only looking at him in wonder. He takes one of her small hands and covers it with his own.

"I...I want to try...living a normal life. One I couldn't live before...For as long as I can...First, we should get out of here, however. I doubt it will be long before they come to capture me again. Not like they could...But I'd rather you not suffer because of my actions, Aguri-san." He states with confidence, walking up to the door that lead out of the chambers. He only had to summon the tiny tentacles again as they began working in disengaging the lock, swirling around his head in a frenzy of sorts. Aguri was curious and worried; should he be using his power so soon, so recklessly? She couldn't even voice her concerns; he was walking out the door, the threads seemingly larger than they were before. Was she imagining things? She wasn't sure, but she knew she was not going to leave him alone while he was like this. They would escape together...

"So...You have made it this far, even without mortally wounding the soldiers sent after you. You truly are a splendid guinea pig..." A mocking voice makes the the pair stop moving, the sound slightly scratchy over the intercom. It was all too familiar to Aguri; it wa her fiancé and the leader of this experiment. He was probably furious at how the Reaper had managed to escape. Said man only stares in the direction of the sound, his face beading with sweat and his breathing heavy, Aguri watching the small security monitor that told her fiancé of their exact location. He was probably tired from trying to use his power defensively; all the soldiers and scientists they encounter he had knocked unconscious or put them to sleep, despite the former mainly trying to kill him. Normal bullets didn't seem to work on him, as the pair soon found out, his tendrils easily anticipating the path of the attacks and reacting accordingly. Still, that didn't mean they wouldn't work on Aguri; the man using much of his speed and battle prowess to make sure she wasn't hit by any stray bullets. They were mostly exhausted from running and it seemed Yanagisawa knew it.

"We just want to leave here in peace, Yanagisawa-san! Please just let him go!" She pleaded, clutching her hands to her chest in a desperate attempt to appeal to what good nature her fiancé had left. The laughter at the other end of the speaker only made her heart wrench in two. This man didn't care for anything aside from himself, did he?

"Tch...Stupid woman! That man is a murderer; an assassin wanted all over the world. Plus, he is now the only successful human test subject in regards to antimatter production. If you think I'm going to let him get away because of your stupid and foolish to appeal to human empathy, then you are a true fool!" The scientist Yanagisawa screams out from the loudspeaker, his voice distorted by the device from his rage fueled tirade. The man next to her recoils in pain, dropping to his knees as he feels the changes start to happen. She saw a light out of the corner of her eye, the shine seeming to point at her male companion. He was still writhing in pain; his body convulsing and shaking as his skin popped and bubbled with sickening noises. She dropped down next to him, holding his convulsing form in her arms as she heard an odd mechanical whirr behind them both. He screamed out in pain as his back jolted, the sound of flesh tearing and ripping causing her to stare at him in fear. She wasn't scared of him; she was scared for him, not understanding what was happening to him. Long, wide tendrils began to shoot out of his back, blood dripping down the appendages and painting the black floor crimson. The last thing she saw was his red eyes staring at her sadly, one of the odd tendrils wrapping itself around her protectively...

She felt an oddly familiar warmth, like this had happened before. And yet, she had no true recollection of the events prior to this moment. It had all happened so suddenly, so fast...the teacher didn't understand: all she remembered was the sounds of the building crumbling around her, his hand interlocked with hers, the two of them running through the compound as they were being chased by soldiers, the sound of gunfire ringing in her ears and tainting her nose. She had been hurriedly escaping with the man she had grown to adore. The man they had turned into the ultimate life form, who was already the world's ultimate assassin before that. A flash of an image is burned into her brain for a second; that of her own body, pierced by a beam of searing hot light, her own blood painting the dim floor of the laboratory.

Aguri realized she wasn't hurt at all; that was just an image, like a bad dream from which she had woken up. The human hands that were holding her were quite warm, tightly embracing her as if they did not want to let go. She didn't want them to, almost afraid of opening her eyes and confirming the reality of her situation. She did, however, because she needed to be sure. Sure that she had reached him, her eyes frantically blinking open to meet his coal black irises. They had an odd kindness to them; one that she had seen so many times, though that was no more then a flicker back then. Back when he was still a prisoner in that cell. Yellow and black surrounded the edge of the woman's peripheral vision, yellow squiggles and the black of the laboratory floor. A sharp exhale of breath caught her attention then, causing her to focus once more on the still vaguely human face that was staring down at her.

"...I made...it in time..." He mutters, his voice soft and yet oddly distorted, as if he had trouble speaking. She wouldn't be surprised if he did; his whole body was convulsing horribly, the remains of his prisoner garb lying near him in tatters, his once pale skin turning an odd, sickly yellow before her very eyes. Well, from what she dared herself to look at anyway. It was embarrassing for her; to be so close to someone like this. Not even with her fiancé, a man who Aguri never really got along with, had she been this physically close to while he was unclothed. Honestly it was her first time seeing a man in this state at all. She didn't consider herself very prudish, she was human after all, and had her own wants as far as _that_ was concerned. The odd acrid smell of something burning caused her to momentarily lose that train of thought, her eyes noticing that one of the many tentacles enveloping the man seemed shorter than the rest. She can only look up into the eyes of the man who held her, his usual black eyes turning an odd red. He had a slightly pained look on his face, though she could not tell if that was because of the transformation he was undergoing or something else. She felt her heart ache for the man, who only wanted a place to belong in this cruel world that denied him even that.

"I'm...alive? The laser..." She could only mutter, quite confused as to what had went on in the past couple seconds. A pained smile painted his face then, like he was trying to hold in the anguish his change was causing him.

"...I s-stopped...it...But...m-my body is...It can't handle this power..." He says, his voice trembling as his body shakes, barely loud enough for her to hear. Gently, her hand caresses his soft face, causing those reddening eyes to widen in surprise. She feels the warmth of his hands leave her, the woman confused as he gently pushes her away from him.

"Reaper-san...?"

"Please...get out while you...can. I'll be fine..." His words confused her even further, but she wanted to listen to him. At the same time, she was quite afraid of leaving him alone: Aguri did not want anything to happen to him because of her. They had made it this far together; she only wanted to see him escape with her safely. She tried to protest, but the Reaper only smiled at her, one of his tentacles pointing in the opposite direction. She followed his gaze, a bit shocked to see the light of the sun peeking out through a hole caused by the collapse. A sharp yell came from that space, the voice familiar to the junior high teacher, as was the head peeking out of the hole.

"B-big sis!"

"Akari! What...?" She felt something soft push her towards her younger sister; the man she only knew as the Reaper gesturing for her to leave. She hesitated, looking back at the man who she had started to fall for, unsure if her eyes were tearing up from the dust of the rubble or her despair.

"...Leave, now! I'll be fine, I promise..." He yelled, Aguri's steps hesitant as she ran to her younger sister. The two embraced quickly, Akari starting to cry herself at the mixed emotions of seeing her sister unhurt. Younger lead the older out through the small crawl space, fresh air caressing Aguri's face once more. Air she thought she would never breathe again. Still, she attemtped to go back into the hole, her sister's hand grabbing her tightly by the wrist.

"Sis, what are you doing!? You can't go back..."

"But...I don't want to just leave him...I..." She mutters, her words failing her as she is dragged away from the collapsing building. Akari just uses most of her strength to pull her sister away from the wreckage, the latter too stunned and confused to move on her own. A loud sound, like that of an explosion, causes them both to stumble away from the wreckage. The two run, fear hastening their steps until the burning and collapsing building is quite distant. She squints through the wreckage; she swore she could make out a speck of something, moving across the sky at a blistering pace. Then again, she could be imagining things, her desire for that man to survive unharmed clouding her vision. A faint tug on her wrist disturbs her lament, the familiar face of her sister, the latters hazel eyes streaked with tears.

"Let's go home, Akari. It's been a looong day." A smile breaches the crying face of her sister then, the smaller girl responding with a cheery tone.

"Yeah...and you promised; you'd better tell me all about this guy you fell for...Don't leave anything out, either." Aguri finally has the energy to laugh, a smile creeping over her own face as she leads her sister away towards their house. _Please be safe, Mr. Reaper, wherever you are._

Ruined. _Ruined._ **Ruined! Those were the thoughts flowing through the scientists mind at that exact moment, the festering feeling of defeat by that damn guinea pig still fresh in his mind. He didn't care that his fiancée was possibly hurt or dead, lying in the ruins of some corporate building he cared little for. He only cared that his experiment to produce the world's first antimatter energy source had failed; and therefore his reputation as a genius was tarnished. He was flawless, a prodigy, known for his outstanding ideas and plans. He had never truly known failure until now; he would not have it. That damn Reaper...and that fool fiancée of his would pay. Yanagisawa clutched the remains of his left eye, which was now useless to him, only being another reminder of his failure today. He would use every thing in his disposal to get his revenge on the two who turned him into a laughingstock. First, he figured it would be best to deal with Aguri; she was such a useless tool. If he could pin this mess on her, to her as his own scapegoat then all the better. He'd probably break off the engagement while he was at it; he wouldn't want to be connected to a person like that. As soon as he was able, he'd set his plans into motion.**


	2. Changes

**A/N: I admit I am messing with his backstory a bit, but he seems like that kinda guy to me. More chaotic good or true neutral than evil. Cliche how he ended up in the manga, this is more of a reimagining I guess?**

He felt a probing at the back of his mind, the feeling steadily growing stronger every second. He knew what it was; the tentacles calling out to him, finally having broken the last bastion of safety he had left, his mind. He had been able to ignore their call, more focused on getting Aguri out of that place safely than anything else at the moment. Now, however, he was alone with no one but himself and his thoughts in the darkness he had retreated to. He didn't care that much; he knew it was only a matter of time before they took hold of him completely. He let the intrusive thoughts pervade his mind, blocking out all other thought until they were the only things he could focus on.

 _ **"What do you want to become? Just wish it, and it shall be granted..."** _He knew they weren't really speaking, invading the privacy of his mind and consciousness to make him think they were. He didn't care; he just answered them with an honest sincerity, images of the woman he had come to know the past year floating through his mind. What did he want to become? He already was the world's most powerful assassin, known all over by the moniker The Grim Reaper or God of Death, depending on the country and culture. He was tired of that life however; though he was not naive enough to hope that a peaceful existence would be easy for him to attain. He had enemies; many of them powerful, and knew he had gained quite a few more thanks to his little stunt. They would not sit idly by; they would see him as a threat and wish to get rid of him. He was fine with that, somewhat, feeling that it was part of a penance for his past life, for all the lives he had taken since then. That was fine; he just couldn't bear the thought of innocents being hurt because of him.

Even as an assassin he had taken extreme measures to ensure that only his target was the causality of his contracts. He never took the lives of innocents; directly, at least, no matter how they were related to the target. Of course there were times when that wasn't always the case; associates who he deemed were necessary to take out to fulfill his mission were one thing. Usually because of his actions innocent people died, though what would one expect when the top government officials of a dictatorship were taken out? His hands were stained with blood; a fact that he could never take back. Yet he wanted to repent; to try walking a new path with this new lease on life he had been given. With these kinds of thoughts in mind, he gave his answer.

"I want to be weak...Hands that can hold even the weakest of things, a weak appearance that would make others like me...I want to be full of weaknesses..." He could feel the tentacles answer him, wrapping around his very being, changing him. He was truly no longer human; he was the ultimate life form. Enhanced sight, smell, hearing and speed; he was nearly omnipotent. Despite that, he found it difficult to adjust to his new body right away, the tentacles impeding his movement slightly. He was smart however, and learned quickly; within an hour he had figured out to maneuver them perfectly to his liking.

He had even made himself a new outfit to cover his body, using materials around the place he had landed. That, unfortunately had taken him quite a bit of time; stitching threads from plants was no easy task after all. With this, he was set...but to do what? He no longer truly had a purpose; his life as the Grim Reaper was over. Well, he could always find a new one, he surmised. Images of the female teacher who had been with him through the past year entered his mind. What was she doing right now? Would she even want to see him? Doubt filled his mind, making him hesitant about his idea. The Reaper only looked at his new body; a soft, squiggly thing with numerous protrusions erupting throughout.

"Would she even want to see me like this...? Ah...I don't know..." He mutters, uncertainty filling his mind. He was worried and embarrassed, the tentacles seemingly sharing his frustration as they shuddered. His yellow skin began to turn pink, heat filling his face, his heart pounding intensely and causing him to blush.

"It's no good...I don't think I can face her yet...It's too embarrassing!" Yet, he wanted to go see her; he was concerned if she would shun him now. Which did surprise him a bit; he never remembed being this emotional before. Then again, he had been feeling more emotionally vulnerable since the experiments started. He couldn't tell why, he felt more inclined to laugh and cry than he did while he was human. He didn't really consider himself a stoic, but these outbursts were new even for him. Besides his appearance wasn't exactly human any longer; what would she love about that? He didn't know, but a voice in the back of his mind told him it was better to try than do nothing. He knew where she lived; they had talked about it enough times while he was still human. He could fly and find the place easily enough, and with his speed it would be simple to do so. He nodded, propelling himself into the air with his new tentacles; he would go see her...Maybe.

"Tell me, already!" Akari pestered, her sister shyly blushing at the outward way the command was said. It's not like Aguri didn't want to tell her sister about him, but she was having trouble finding the words. She could only look at the steaming hot cup of tea and emptied plate in front her, her gaze momentarily wandering around the small restaurant they were in. He was so different compared to her fiancé; he didn't look down on her and treat her like she was something to be pushed aside. She remembered the times when he had helped her make questions for her students, even though there was no benefit in doing so for him. She hadn't liked going to the facility at first, mostly because of her fiancé's treatment; talking with the Reaper however made those times more palpable. He would listen intently to her, responding with a small nod or gesture, sometimes even offering his own view on things. When he started to open up to her and tell her small things about himself, such as his likes and dislikes, she was glad. She didn't know why, Aguri just liked that someone was willing to listen to her on an equal level; even if he was much smarter than her. He still treated her like an equal; Something her fiancé hardly did, if at all. So it was with a bit of trepidation and embarrassment that she described the man she had fallen for.

"...He's a bit on the quiet side; he never talked about himself much, only if I asked. He was a good listener though; his eyes shone sometimes while I was telling my stories. He seemed fascinated with the small things in life, like my walk to work and how I would describe the weather. It was like...he was trying to find something he had lost...Or maybe never even had in the first place..." Aguri says, her voice quiet yet firm as she spoke, with an odd sort of conviction. Her younger sister only listened attentively as the other spoke, her voice filled with a happiness that she had heard in a long time. She was glad for her; for all her teasing about Aguri having the better genes, she truly loved her sister and wanted her to be happy. She had never liked Yanagisawa, and had told her sister to void the engagement several times.

Even if he was the owner of the world's richest research center for science, and a genius in his own right, that mattered little to Akari. She did wonder what caused Aguri to go after him in the first place; was she bullied into it? Pressure from Yanagisawa maybe? He did seem like the type to do so...She wasn't sure, though she did remember their parents talking about the arrangement a few times when she was home. It seemed it was mostly because of the man's social status and wealth; She didn't seem interested in the man at all, though she tried her hardest when they first met to become attached to him. He was just such a difficult man to get used to; always concerned about his appearance and how he looked to others. Yet it seemed their parents had received some kickback from the engagement; they both had noticed the amount of new things their parents began to buy. They were a regular middle class family; even their two children could tell that something was up. They hadn't gotten all the money to pay for Akari's acting lessons and coaches overnight. Aguri was too kind of a person to go against her parents wishes.

It's not like Akari didn't notice; the extra layers of make up to cover the bruises on her face. The dark bags under her eyes from the strain of working both jobs. The small lies and fake smiles to their parents whenever her fiancé was brought up. The sound of her crying through the wall of her bedroom when she thought everyone else was asleep. Akari was an actress; she knew when someone was putting on airs, and that was clearly what her older sister was doing. She did not understand why though. Why Aguri put up with the harsh treatment; for her parents and her sister, never really saying a word of it to any one. She had a right to her own happiness, her own life, just like anyone else.

She wondered if she should try and press the issue again; though she doubted Aguri would hear any of it. Maybe now that she found someone she actually cared for, she would listen. Taking a deep breath, the younger sister glared intensely at her sibling, causing the other to stare in confusion.

"...Why don't you call it off, Aguri? The engagement, I mean..." Her older sister only gave her a soft smile; which caused her heart to break. She had been around her sister long enough to know what that meant. It was a refusal; a kind way to turn her down. Her next words only confirmed it.

"I can't...I'm sorry, Sister."

Akari wouldn't have it however; her hand slamming down on the table where they sat, her eyebrows narrowed fiercely in anger.

"Dammit, Sis! Why won't you listen to me? Just because you're older, you think you know everything!" Aguri did not have an answer for her sister; at least one she was willing to give. She did not want to let her sister to know of the harsh treatment she had gone through due to her fiancé. Even if her sister had taken a break from being an actress, Aguri wanted to make sure she had the funds necessary should she want to make a comeback. The stern faces of her parents also flashed through her mind, their words clear.

" _He's a nice man...He is one of the smartest and most powerful people in the world; Yanagisawa-san may seem harsh, but he's got our best interests at heart. Please...if you aren't doing it for us, do it for your poor sister."_ Aguri only let out a small sigh, getting up from her seat and grabbing her purse.

"I'm sorry, sister. I have to prepare for tomorrow's classes; those tests won't finish themselves, after all!" She chuckled, a smile on her face. Akari could only stare at her sister, watching the other leave, her mind confused and torn with indescision. What could she do?

"...Pull over." He commanded, the driver hastily putting on the car's brakes. He could see her through the window of the car, her steps somewhat slow as she walked back to her home. The mere sight of her made him furious; what a disgusting woman. She betrayed him; her fiancé, all for a murderer she met only a year ago. She barely even knew the man; what could he possibly hope to give her that he, the great Yanagisawa could not? Besides, that was when the man was still human; now he was nothing more than a monster; the world's ultimate weapon of destruction...Still Yanagisawa couldn't deny that Aguri was quite pretty, if a bit plain. Maybe it was that which had attracted him to her in the first place; she was plain, easily disposable if need be. He could find a thousand other women to take her place as his fiancée. Yet his anger only grew as he watched her walk toward their shared house, the car pulling up to the sidewalk. Like she didn't know what she had done. Pushing the button the lower the window, he faced her, leaning his face a little to the right so that his one still working eye could see her.

"Y-Yanagisawa-san! You...your eye. What happ—" Aguri attemtped to mutter, true concern in her voice for the man she had thought she loved, but he would have none of it. His voice was stern and fierce as he spoke, his right eye widening in rage.

"Don't play dumb with me, you bitch! You caused this; you and that damned guinea pig. Then again, by now the cells have probably taken hold of him; he's probably no longer even human..." The look of fear and surprise she gave at hearing his words only made him angrier, the proud scientist opening the car door and stepping out onto the sidewalk. Aguri could only stare at him in shock, her gaze turning to the driver for a moment. No, she couldn't dare to ask him for assistance. He was probably bought off by her fiancée to obey him unconditionally; he liked using his money to shut people up. Which is probably what he had done with the experiment that took place later this afternoon; though that might be a little bit harder for him to hide. Yanagisawa roughly grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her in close as his face came inches to her own.

"You've ruined me! My career and reputation are over, and for what? So you could spread your legs for a murderer! You dirty whore; I should have killed you back then..." He whispered to her, his tongue still as sharp and painful as ever. Aguri could only stifle the scream building up in her throat, keeping a hand clasped to her mouth before letting it drop to her side. Even if she did scream, she knew it would not be of any use. She attemtped to struggle against the man's harsh tug on her wrist, her feet sliding against the pavement as she was dragged into the car. Pain shot across her face then, a sharp, crushing pain that made her jaw hurt, and she could feel the blood dripping down her nose.

More importantly it caused her to stop resisting Yanagisawa, who used the momentum to roughly pull her into the vehicle. She fell into the back seats of the car, Yanagisawa slamming the door behind them and locking it, the scientist pinning down her arms so she could not escape. The knuckles on his left hand were stained with her blood, yet he made no sign of apologizing; if anything, that only made him more enraged. He easily deflected the weak slaps she attempted to send his way, chuckling at her pitiful defiance. He could see the fear in her black eyes however, and knew that he had won. Though he thought he could see something else there; a small flicker of defiance. No matter; now that he had her under his control, he could do anything he wanted to her. He would teach her to disrespect him; the greatest scientific mind in all the world. He sat Aguri up straight, keeping her hands behind her back so that they could not hit him, his other hand cupping her bruised chin. She watched him turn to the front of the car, barking commands to the driver before he once again turns to her, that manic rage still making his eye convulse, a sinister grin on his face as the car once again started to move.

"I will teach you the price for defying me..."


	3. Tragedy

**AN: I know it was logical that the ending had to be that way, but I was stilll sad. Yanagisawa deserved much worse then he got, and Korosensei's/Aguri's ending was sad. He was an assassin; but he was still more morally superior to Y, I think...**

 **Trigger warnings: Violence**

He was easily able to make out the landscape below him, thanks to his advanced vision, using it as a beacon to help pinpoint his location. He wasn't going too fast; definitely below his top speed, as he wanted to be able to find her house, knowing that if he went fully at Mach 20 he would probably pass the place. He settled on a medium pace, the breeze flowing past his circular head as he flew through the night sky. The Reaper could easily see the people and buildings below him, keeping any eyes out for someone he recognized. It's not like the streets were crowded full of people, since it was beginning to get late; already he could see the crescent moon rising slowly in the sky. He doubted he would find her that easily; this was a city full of people, small though it was, yet he had confidence in his new body. It had much superior senses to his old one; his ears, nose and eyes being able to see, hear and smell much better than they could before. Along with his trained perception from being an assassin, nothing could escape his notice. So it was no surprise he heard a soft, familiar voice curse below him, his eyes easily spotting the long, black haired girl.

 _Hmm...Isn't that Aguri-san's sister?_ He thought, his curiosity compelling him to fly a bit lower and see what was going on. Before, when he was human, he might not have given her a second thought; now however he understood the folly of his previous way of thinking. One needs to understand people in order to live on this wide world, and only by 'looking' at them can we truly see them for the first time. That was the lesson that Aguri had taught him through the whole year he had been stuck in his cell. He truly appreciated her for that, a warm sensation spreading through his body at that moment. Luckily, it wasn't enough to make his skin turn bright pink, though he did feel his face blush slightly at the thought of the teacher and her smile. _No...I have to calm down. Why do I keep doing this? Ever since my body started to change, I've been more...open with my emotions than usual. This will take more time to get used to than having tentacles..._ The Reaper jokes with himself, considering whether to fly down and greet the teen. What he hears next however, only makes him more curious.

"Sis...This isn't like you. Why won't you pick up?" Akari mutters, staring dejectedly at her cell phone. He could hear ringing of the phone as it tries to reach said person, only for her to huff as he heard the sound of their voicemail going off. He quickly memorized the number before checking to make sure no one else was around; thankfully the place was sparse and he noticed few people on the streets. He figured it would be fine to show himself; most people would probably not pay attention to him, thinking that he was an illusion or something similar. The Reaper easily touched down near that location, being careful to hide himself a bit so he wouldn't startle the poor girl. He was a bit hesitant, not sure how the girl would react to seeing him like that, his two pronged tentacle reaching out to gently tap the teen's shoulder. She jumps a bit, obviously startled from the contact, turning her head to look behind her though her expression changes from fear to confusion as her fingers touch the appendage.

"...What the...?" She mutters, her eyes following the appendage to its source; the Reaper only giving her a soft smile in response, though his head was beading with nervous sweat. He easily withdrew the tentacle from her shoulder, the appendage slipping back into place beneath his cloak, before he let out a nervous cough.

"Good evening, Akari-chan...eerm...You seem upset; is something troubling you?" She only stares at the creature before her in complete shock, her eyes roving over his entire body for a couple seconds. Recognition dawns on her a moment after, the girl taking a couple steps toward the large being.

"...You...You're the guy from earlier today..." Akari states breathlessly, her hands falling to her sides as she stares at him with her mouth agape. The Reaper can only give her a small shrug in response, patiently waiting for her to recover as she speaks again.

"...I guess I do. See, Aguri and I had gotten into a bit of a disagreement...nothing too big really, but now she won't answer her phone. I don't think I made her angry; it was mainly myself who was mad. This isn't like her at all...I'm worried." He listens to her words attentively, crossing his long arms over the other and nodding before taking a few steps towards the girl.

"I see...Well, I was on my way to go see her, anyway..." He mutters, intertwining his tentacles like they were fingers. She found this interesting; the two seemed to have some sort of a relationship, going by what her sister said... _Wait, could he be the guy she was talking about?_ Akari thinks, recalling their previous conversation a few hours prior. Wow. She hadn't expected this...and going by what he was saying, he wanted to meet her sister. At night. Alone. She felt her face flush at the thought, not really judging her sister; she was just worried about her. Yanagisawa seemed like a good guy too, at first but then she began to see through his facade. What if this...guy was the same? She had to protect her sister. The girl confidently stalks up to the tentacled creature, who only gave her a blank stare in response, his face still it's usual yellow. She points her finger in his face, her eyes narrowing with a faked anger, the Reaper only leaning backward a bit to further the distance between them.

"You better not do anything to make her sad, got it?"

"Eh? Of course not! Aguri-san is precious to me, I'll have you know!" The Reaper triumphantly states, his smile growing even wider than usual. Akari lets out a small chuckle, though she was still cautious of the guy. Though, she figured, maybe he could help her out. If he truly cared for Aguri like he said he did...

"...I'm worried she's in trouble. I was going to go check on her as well. How about we just go together? It's only a fifteen minute walk from here." She suggested, the circular headed creature nodding at her idea, eagerly grabbing her by the wrist with his tentacled hand and pulling her towards him. She squeaks a bit at the contact, her face turning a bit pink as she shouts at him.

"W-what are you doing!?" He carefully wraps his tentacles around her body, being mindful to not touch any private areas. He can only stare down at the girl with what looks like a smug expression, his eyes narrowing a bit.

"Don't worry; I won't fly as fast as I usually do. I won't let you fall; I promise. Ah..." He stops speaking, his face turning white for a moment as he thinks.

"We should probably check at other places where Aguri-san likes to hang out. Do you know of any she might frequently go to, Akari-chan?" The teen thinks for a moment, remembering places she and her sister used to frequent in the small town before she had her second job. Thanks to that, they hardly had any time to spend together and Aguri was always worn out when she saw her. Also, they might as well check out her fiancé's house; she didn't quite trust that man.

"Yeah, I'll tell you on the way...You know, you seem to know my name but I never got yours...errr..." She comments, the octopus putting one of his extra tentacles to his chin in thought.

"Name, huh? I don't really have one..." His answer made her look up at him, her face incredulous as she responded.

"No way...You really don't have one? That's..." _That's kind of sad..._ She thought, emphasizing with the creature. She felt his arms grip her a bit tighter, her feet slowly being lifted off of the ground.

"That's not important right now. We should get going!" He answers, tilting his body a bit as he propels himself through the night sky, Akari tightly gripping his large tentacled arms...

"Thank you for your services..." Yanagisawa remarked, making sure to slip a yen note of considerable sum in with the tip so that the driver could see it. The man nodded, revving up the engine and offering a quiet farewell before driving off into the night. The scientist glared at the woman in his grasp, who was frozen in shock, her face no longer covered in blood because of a tissue stuck in her nose, her small bag containing her phone and other things still in her hand. She knew that her last chance to escape had just left with that car; not the she had had many opportunities to do otherwise while _inside_ the car...but the option was still there. Now she was stuck, with him, the pair of them walking briskly up to his house. She had thought of moving in with him, seeing as it always taken her so long to get from the school to her apartment and then to the labs. Back when her engagement to this man seemed feasible; now it was more like a nightmare she couldn't escape. She felt a little defeated because of her own situation, but the thought that she had managed to help her real love escape his torment put her mind at ease. Slightly. She wasn't naive enough to expect someone would come rescue her now, of all times. So she quietly let her fiancé release his grip on her wrist, falling into a quiet step behind him as he fiddled with the keys to his home. The door opens with a loud clank, the noise seeming to reverberate in her ears as Aguri walks inside the darkened entryway.

"What are you standing around for? Come here!" He barks, the bright shine of the lights coming on making her a bit stunned after being the dark for so long. She blinks a few times, attempting to right herself, before gingerly moving near her fiancé. The man only gave her a strong glare, his temper seeming to have calmed somewhat, though she knew this didn't mean much. He was quick to switch his moods on the fly, a trait she had observed numerous times while working for him and being around him the past couple years. What usually triggers his 'episodes' was when he was disobeyed or talked back to by whom he considered his lessers. Which was nearly everyone but him, now that she came to think about it. He really was a conceited person. Though because of his status as the son of the richest company owner in the world, and his own scientific genius, not many people would dare to question him. Yanagisawa's voice was still it's usual hard tone, his words harsh as she feels his hand grip her shoulder tightly.

"...You need to learn to respect me. I am your husband, by all rights! I _own_ you." He said as he lead her across the small entryway, nearly pushing her along. He was sort of right; as long as her family was financially indebted to him because of their engagement, Aguri was his. Not that she would take it lying down, but she did not want to ruin the future for her sister, whom she loved so much. Without that money, Akari would not have a suitable back up plan if her dream of becoming a famous actress fell through. She was doing well so far; Aguri had seen her sister in a bunch of small dramas and couple commercials, but she had yet to make her big debut. So soon after that however, Akari had taken a break from acting. She was concerned for her younger sister; why had she decided to do so? The girl probably needed a break from the stress of her career, and the older sister did not blame her. She didn't want to put any more pressure on the young teen than their parents already were; she was surely feeling worn down enough with their constant expectations for her.

"...I am not one of your experiments; do _not_ treat me like one. I had hoped this would work, but you don't seem to want to make it work, Yanagisawa. All you've done is belittle me; anything to show that I will never be as good as you. On the outside you hide it quite well; no one would think otherwise. I'm tried of this treatment; I want you to respect me..." Aguri states strongly, her black eyes determined as she stared at the man next to her. Yanagisawa only smiles, his small eyes narrowing as he responds.

"Respect you? We aren't even on the same level...I am a genius, and you, just a mediocre school teacher who I happened to choose because she was expendable. Why should I care about your feelings? _You ruined the most important day of my life!"_ He yells out, causing her to flinch at the proximity of his voice, her hand slipping out of his grip. _So that's how he sees me. Well, Mom, Dad, I tried to make it work...I'm sorry, Akari...I can't put up with this anymore._ She thinks, her heart pounding in her chest as she turns away from the man and starts to walk. She feels his hand on her shoulder once more, his voice still carrying that undercurrent of anger.

" _You_ want to leave _me_? That is a mistake; I am one of the most powerful men in the world! You aren't anything without me, you understand?" Aguri only gave him a small smile, carefully grabbing his hand and pushing it off her. It falls limply to his side, his face no longer angry and instead one of shock; she felt she could see the hints of fear and sadness in his face. That wasn't enough to sway her however, her heart pounding in her throat as she walked away from the man, her hand on the open doorway.

"I _am_ something. A teacher whose students depend on her. That's something you could never take away, Yanagisawa-san."

She walked off into the darkness, not looking back.

 **A/N:** **Honestly, this was my original idea; wasn't sure about it though. Like this ch much better now.**


	4. Comfort

She just kept walking, slowly putting one foot in front of the other. She had a general idea of where she was, though the darkness didn't help, and figured it would only take her a little while to get back home. Aguri has been walking for at least ten minutes now, praying that she would soon reach an area where her phone would receive service. Not that it mattered that much; it was almost out of battery anyway, and she wasn't sure who to call. The path was dark and empty, not much in the way of streetlights to guide her. It was more of a side path than a real street, trees surrounding her small form as she walked in the darkness. It didn't hide her powerful gait as she continued walking, her eyes shining with a fierce determination.

She was still upset; but at least she was able to hide that feeling for now. Aguri just tried not to think about her fiancé, the man's demeaning and accusatory words still ringing in her ears, all the while his eyes smoldering in a quiet hatred. There was nothing further she could do; not against that powerful man. At least she had showed him she was not to be messed with...Though she was a bit worried about the repercussions of her actions. Yanagisawa was a proud man, and this had surely hurt his ego. He might do anything to try and heal that wound, so fresh it was on top of the failed experiment. Aguri was honestly more worried for her sister's sake than herself; the generous amount of money would stop coming in, and with Akari taking a break from her acting career, she worried how this might affect the teen's future. The teacher only let out a deep sigh, lifting her bruised and battered face to the dark night sky. The moon, still following it's usual patterns despite having lost most of its mass, shone brightly and helped illuminate her way somewhat. She tried to enjoy the calm view, the stars twinkling and easy to see because of the lack of city lights dimming the night sky. Though...one of the shapes looked less like a star than the others, and it certainly seemed to be growing larger in size. Was it a plane? No, that wouldn't make much sense, Aguri thought; the descent and speed at which it was falling was too different, and the trajectory looked as if it was heading closer to her position.

"Hm? I wonder...I don't have time to worry about it now; I still have to get home. My work won't do itself after all, and the children are depending on me." She states, the thought putting a bit more vigor in her slowed steps. She had to get things ready for the new academic year; the last time she would see their smiling faces before graduation. That's right; she was the only one those kids could depend on. Everyone else had more or less abandoned them, in some cases even their parents wanting nothing more to do with them. That wasn't right; it wasn't fair, Aguri thought. They were all fine children in their own ways, she just had to make others see that. They weren't the best students, and their confidence had recently taken a nosedive because of their status as the End Class, but she would not give up on them just yet. She was their teacher, and had an obligation to make sure they graduated with their heads held high; not out of any sense of duty, but more from the kindness of her heart. The teacher only smiled at the starry sky, her resolve bolstered as she watched the odd black shape high above her grow even bigger. She thought she could possibly make out a general outline of said object, but it was no more than a blur to her eyes. She didn't really mind; it was just a passing curiosity to her anyway, a distraction from the pain that ran along her face and nose every few minutes. She only felt an odd chill run down her spine at that moment, like she was being watched, an odd wind being blown at her back. But by what? There was no one here aside from herself, the teacher looking around with a surprised expression.

"Big sister! We found you. Thank goodness!" The familiar high pitched voice of her sister rang in the teacher's ears, startling her for a moment. How did Akari even get here? It was quite far away from the small restaurant they parted ways at...Her choice of words also made her a bit confused. _Did she say 'we'? Has Yanagisawa come to fetch me again?_ Aguri thinks, an odd sensation like a rock being dropped into her stomach. She had hoped she'd be finished with him for the day; Aguri really wasn't sure about her feelings towards the man at this moment in time. She was angry at him, yes, but despite that, the teacher couldn't bring herself to hate the man she had known for the past few years. He was rash, and known for his temper and fits of almost childish anger...but he really wasn't a bad person. She wanted to believe that with all her heart. Though...her mind flashed back to the man in the cell; the supposed master assassin, the Reaper. Some days when she saw him, observing him as part of her nighttime job, his eyes were always a bit sunken from being tired and his skin pale from the procedure he had gone through. He wasn't malnourished, yet he wasn't exactly the picture of health either. What kind of things were her fiancé putting him through to make him look like that? Nothing good, she suspected, though attempting to get answers out of either of them was a moot point. Yanagisawa always told her it wasn't her job to know; calling her an idiot who didn't know her place. The Reaper usually deflected the question, his smiling face catching her off guard as he talked about something else entirely. She didn't know anything, and no one wanted to tell her. Aguri was only able to find out about the experiment by pure chance when the Reaper decided to break out of his cell using the power he was given. Now her fiancé had no real need of her; she was no longer useful to him...

"Big Sister! Your face...what happened to you?" Akari asks worriedly, her small body moving closer to her sister, one of her hands reaching out to almost touch the bruised spot on her cheek. Aguri only enveloped the younger girl in a deep hug, wanting to reassure her.

"It's nothing, Akari...I just...was a little clumsy. Why did you follow me? It's late out, and you need to get home. Our parents are probably worried about you."

Akari's eyes narrowed at her sisters words, her brown eyes trailing to the large purple bruise on her face. She let out a large sigh, shaking her head as she lifted her head up to stare into her sisters eyes.

"I...was worried about you. After our fight...I wanted to apologize. I still stand by my opinion, but I was a bit out of line. I'm sorry. I'm just concerned because I care about you. You always put other people ahead of yourself, and that isn't good..." Akari mutters, embracing her sister in an even tighter hug, tears beginning to streak down her face. Aguri can only let a small smile flash across her features, a warm sensation spreading across her body as she returned the hug.

"I understand...Though, Akari...what exactly did you mean when you said 'we'? Is Yanagisawa coming to fetch me? I don't see anyone else here..." Aguri mutters, her eyes scanning the darkness for any trace of her fiancé. She couldn't see him through the sparse expanse of trees, but she thought she saw _something_ there. Maybe an animal or something, she wondered? It would not be her fiancé; he would probably chase after her in his car and logically he would have come from the other direction. Then what was it? Akari only carefully dislodges herself from her sister, her face wearing a perplexed expression as she looks towards the spot. A sigh escapes her lips, her voice raised as she speaks up to someone Aguri couldn't see.

"...What are you doing? Getting cold feet, eh? Why are you embarrassed now? _You_ wanted to go visit her, didn't you?" A small squeaky yell of surprise came out of the foliage, Akari moving toward the noise with an odd determination. Aguri could only watch her grasp at something in the darkness of the trees, another small squeal coming forth as a large figure partly emerged out of the copse. Her sister only tugged on the thing with a large grunt of effort, an odd creature finally stepping into the moonlit space, before hasilty running back to her side. Aguri knew right away; it was him. Even though he had physically changed, she still noticed his familiar tentacled limbs, though they were more numerous than earlier that day. She could only stare at the former Reaper, whose tiny black eyes were frantically turning between the teacher and her sister, his skin an odd combination of pinkish orange in the moonlight.

"Aaaah, I wasn't mentally prepared for this yet! ...Ack, what do I do?" The Reaper muttered, his round face breaking out into a nervous sweat, which only caused Aguri to chuckle. He was finally able to express his inner thoughts better than before, no doubt having a difficult time of it when he was a human assassin, thanks to the tentacles empowering his emotional reactions. Aguri only felt the warmth of a hand on her shoulder, then the pressure of being pushed towards the frantically panicking octopus. She only a had second to turn her head to see her sister wearing a mischievous smirk on her face. _Akari, you...What will I do with you?_ Aguri thought in that split second, understanding what her sister was trying to do. She felt happiness spread through her at the thought, the sensation once again warming her body. Aguri felt something smooth wrap around her hand then, gently pulling her towards the confused Reaper, who only gave a small gasp as she involuntary bumped up against him due to the momentum.

"Eh? Eh? A-Aguri-san!? I don't...My hand just...S-sorry!" His voice squeaks, the small tendrils quickly withdrawing from Aguri's wrist. The human teacher could only smile at his reaction; tilting her face up so she could look him in the eyes as her arm reached out to grab his retreating tentacles.

"Hahaha...It's all right. I thought I told you already, Mr.Reaper; your tentacles are beautiful. You escaped, and I am so glad for you!" She answered, clutching his oddly formed appendage and wrapping her fingers around it. The octopus wasn't too sure what to do, and he could feel his heart beat rapidly as his skin changed into a more prominent shade of pink. He can only stare at the odd woman who had entranced him over the past year; her small, slight body making him feel oddly vulnerable as she clung to him. Finally he notices the odd disfigurement on her cheek, too flustered before to notice the small mark hidden by the darkness. _Aguri-san...How? What...?_ He thought, though he already knew the answer. He could smell the traces of that man still on her; which were quite recent. So that's why she was worried Yanagisawa was after her...He felt a surge of anger course through him as he watched Aguri gently grabed the large tie he was wearing, her face turning a bit red as she held it aloft in her hand.

"You actually wore it! I'm surprised; I thought you hated my fashion—" The teacher began to say, before she was cut off by a darkening tentacle that pressed against her lips. She could feel the bloodlust emanating from him; one of the few things his transformation did not change, his killing intent. She felt his body shake as the tentacle moved from her mouth to her bruised cheek, veins beginning to pop out from the top of his circular head.

 **"He did that, didn't he? That son of a—"** The Reaper growled, his voice quite a different timber than before, more deep and threatening sounding. Aguri quickly shook her head in defiance, causing the octopus to narrow his now slit eyes at her.

"I'm fine, really! Please...don't get angry over this. He does it all the time...I'm used to—"

" **That's exactly why I'm angry! Who does that guy think he is? You shouldn't have to—I don't know! I..."** The Reaper interrupted, his other arm slowly wrapping around the small woman and holding her closer. She could feel his trembling body as he attempted to calm himself, his skin starting to change colors once again. She felt something on her hair for a fraction of a second, the odd sensation starting to increase as the seconds went by. Putting a hand to her head made the sensation stop for a moment, though now she noticed it on the back of her palm instead. As she took her free hand back, she realized what the feeling was. Tiny tears covered her hand, making it slightly wet in some places, much like her hair as well. She could only feel an odd ache in her chest as she looked up at the sobbing Reaper, not liking seeing him in that state. _Mr. Reaper...You really are a nice guy at heart. If only you'd been born in a peaceful country..._ Aguri lamented, her heart aching for the former human assassin.

He had no idea of what a normal life was like; all because of the circumstances of his birth. He had been forced down the path of a killer at an early age; stunting his emotional growth, and this was the end result. Though she knew it was partly due to the side effects of the tentacles, she wanted to believe this is the kind of person he would have been had his life turned out better. He was such a gentle and caring soul; only that was masked by his training and years of being a killer, suppressing his inner feelings for the sake of his livelihood. He had no idea how to express himself properly, and he was suffering such emotional turmoil now because of it. She wanted to help him, if even a little. Just to ease some of the pain he was feeling...She felt herself press harder up against his large body, her free hand gently reaching up to caress his round face.

"Don't cry, Mr.Reaper...I am done with putting up with his abuse...Today was the final straw. If I can...I want to cancel our engagement. Yanagisawa...never truly cared for me. He only saw me as a tool to use...I can't be with someone like that!" Aguri argued, gently wiping the tears off of the octopus's face. He could only stare at her in a state of shock, his skin now back to its usual yellow palor now that he had calmed down. He was still mad; he would never forgive Yanagisawa for treating her this way. But what could he do? Going to confront the man wouldn't change anything. Besides, it seemed like Aguri had settled their issue on her own already without his help. He was glad that she had begun to stick up for herself if only a little. That still didn't stop the odd feeling slowly filling his being; a sort of warmth he had not felt before in his life. This warmth that he only had begun to feel when he was with her. It made his tentacles slowly and carefully wrap around the woman, hugging her fiercely as he attempted to speak his mind.

"Aguri-san...Good for you! You've finally started to recognize your own self-worth. I...We...Still, we should do something about that bruise of yours. You can't go to school tomorrow looking like that, right?" He remarked, attempting to loosen his grip on the woman. His tentacles wouldn't listen to him however, and continued to steadily hold Aguri. Honestly, part of him didn't mind being this close...Was that why the tentacles didn't listen to him? Because they knew what he truly wanted? The Reaper was confused; he wasn't sure how to feel about this. This was honestly the first time he had started to feel something other than hate; his hatred for the world and the life he had been born into. Aguri had slowly started to change him, the experiment also speeding up the process by heightening his emotional vulnerability. The loud sound of footsteps coming closer to the pair made him a bit shocked. He had honestly forgotten Akari was there in all of the commotion. The teen's face was slightly pink,

though her eyes were narrowed as she went up to the pair with a knowing smirk.

"Okay, you two...We really should get going. It's quite late...And big sis still has things to prepare for class tomorrow!" A small sigh came out of the teachers mouth at that thought, her grip on the octopus loosening as she nodded.

"You're right, Akari-chan. I...I was so surprised and excited to see Mr—erm...the both of you that it slipped my mind. Still, it's not like my house is close by; not to mention we would still need to make sure Akari gets home safe too..." She notices the large grin on the Reaper's face then, his beady eyes staring at her, an odd sparkle in them.

"Fufufu, not to worry! With my speed we can easily get to both places in a matter of moments. Now, if you would excuse me, Aguri-san..." The large creature remarked, carefully lifting Aguri up using his tentacles and gently positioning her in the inner confines of his robe, one small tentacle still wrapped around her almost protectively. Aguri was a bit shocked at the closeness; she didn't think he would do that, not that she was worried he would do anything malicious. Hopefully. The teacher felt her face heat up involuntary, her heart pounding in her chest from the sudden contact. She swore she could feel the rapid beats of his heart underneath his shirt as well, which made her feel even more self conscious. She was curious as to why he was responding that way; was she just hoping and imagining things? Did she just want him to feel that way? She wasn't sure, and tried to push the thoughts out of her mind. Her sister's smirking face greeted her then, the small girl also tucked into the Reaper's robe protectively.

"Big sis...what are you thinking about? Hmmm?" The younger sister chides, causing Aguri to make a small squeak of surprise.

"E-eh? What do you mean, Akari-chan? Never mind me...How are you doing, Mr.Reaper?" Aguri mutters, wanting to draw less attention to herself. The rounded octopus could only offer a small confused noise in reply, his skin once again turning a shade of bright pink as his cheeks flushed involuntarily.

"I-I'm f-fine! D-don't mind me. Ehehe..." Aguri wasn't so sure at his response; he seemed a bit out of it. Akari only gave the creature an odd look, her face wearing a confused expression.

"What's wrong? You've flown before with me; what makes it so different now?" The Reaper could only offer a small squeal at that comment, nervous beads of sweat moving down his face.

"W-well, that's...Aaaahh...Well Aguri-san is... different...She's—Ack, who cares about that now!? How about we just get going, hmm?" He comments, attempting to deflect the question, though Aguri was curious about what he was trying to say. She couldn't ask him about it however, because he had already began to increase his altitude and move forward, the wind steadily rising as they disappeared into the dark night sky. Oh well; she could always ask him later. For now she only wanted to enjoy the feeling of his smooth tentacles protectively wrapped around her, making her feel safe and warm.


	5. Reluctance

She had left him. He figured she would never have left him; she was too weak willed and quiet. Aguri was not the type to state her mind openly, more so if she felt it would be the cause of conflict. For her to openly denounce him so had completely shocked him. He surmised it must be because of the guinea pig's influence on her the past year; what else could it be? He hated the assassin even more for that; Aguri was his and his only. They had been engaged for quite a long time now, though he had little to no romantic feelings for the woman; yet he felt as if he had lost something important, anger rising up in his chest to become a heavy dense weight that tugged at his being.

How dare that piece of trash think he could steal her away! He would not have it, that would be yet another reminder of his failures, that he was weak. _I will not be humiliated by the damn giunea pig!_ Yanagisawa could only stand there, confusion running through his mind as he gazed at the door she had slammed shut a few moments earlier. But how? What would be the best way to win her back? He wasn't really sure, but he was determined to do so. Not out of any affection he had for the woman, but to assert his power over her, and to show up that damnable assassin. An idea came to mind then, one so obvious he would have kicked himself for not thinking of it earlier. That damnable Reaper was now technically one of the biggest secrets in Japan; nonetheless the entire world. There was no way he could live a normal life after what had happened to him. The world's governments would be after him sooner or later. That made the mad scientist's lips curl into a smile. He just had to make it quite apparent to them how much of a danger this _thing_ would be if left alive. Not that he needed much in the way of proof; the crescent moon hanging in the sky was really all the evidence he needed. Taking out the cell phone he had stashed in his pocket, the scientist quickly dialed the number he had memorized.

"Yes, this is Kotaro Yanagisawa. I'd like to speak to one of the higher ups...No, I will not be put on hold! Who the hell do you think you're—" He stopped speaking, the annoying musical cue that indicated he had been put on hold making him grit his teeth. _Assassin_. _..I'll get you for this, no matter what I do. That damned woman too...How dare you make a fool of me, the greatest scientific mind the world has ever had the pleasure of birthing! An elite like me won't lose to a pathetic, third world orphan like you who has nothing and will never have anything!_

"W-what!? I couldn't...A-Aguri-san, why are you nodding!? Don't tell me you agree!" The Reaper stammers, his beaded eyes swerving from one pair of onyx eyes to the next. They were both staring at him, almost like they were pinning him down; he could feel the pressure from their gazes. He was completely at a loss, his skin turning an odd muddy yellow to show his discomfort, his usual smile replaced by a large grimace. It wasn't that he didn't _want to do what they were suggesting; some part of him wanted it very much. However, his rational side knew it was a bad idea, for multiple reasons. Of course, some of those reasons were why Akari-chan proposed the idea in the first place. That still didn't mean he was okay with it; though, he had done similar things while he was an assassin._

This, however, felt much different than simply using a woman as a cover to get to his target. He had had multiple girlfriends before, but those were mostly under the guise of his work. He never thought of them as nothing more then a means to an end. Aguri was...different. She was probably the first person he could say he actually felt something for; not that he understood what that feeling was, exactly but still...It was quite different from anything else. Which was why he was hesitant at hearing Akari's proposal; and even more surprised that Aguri was so readily agreeing to it. His emotions bubbled within him, his mental turmoil apparent to the small teacher sitting near him, her head tilting to the side as she stares at him. He felt some small relief at seeing the large bandage on her face, covering that blemish caused by her supposed fiancé, the swelling on her nose finally subsiding in the past few minutes since they had sat down to have this talk. A small human hand on his shoulder only made him jump a bit in surprise, making him awfully aware of the short distance between them.

"...I mean, if you don't want to, Mr.Reaper, then we shouldn't force you...I am a bit hesitant myself. This place is kinda small..." The teacher mumbles, her eyes roving around the small apartment. Right now they were in the kitchen area, seated at a tiny table in the middle of the space, surrouded by countertops and other things. The living room like area wasn't much bigger, though it was hard to tell with a laptop and textbooks scattered all over the place, and the bathroom wasn't even half of that. She wondered how the two of them would even fit in such a space; it was barely big enough for her alone. Aguri looked over at her non-human companion once again, noticing he was quite big for the chair he was sitting in, though his easily morphable body made him seem quite comfortable despite that.

This oddly enough made her wonder if he would be comfortable with sleeping on the couch, once she had moved all of her teaching equipment off of the three seater. She didn't think so; the way he was sitting now, all his limbs seemingly scrunched together so he would avoid touching either of them, made her uncertain. _Maybe he would be better off in—_ Aguri quickly shook that thought out of her mind, her face reddening slightly at the idea, still contemplating it for a moment. If that was the case, then she would just take the couch if need be. Though she doubted he would be so selfish as to take her up on that offer. The alternative only made her let out a small squeal, which did not go unnoticed by the two others. Their tentacled guest only pretended to ignore the outburst, though she noticed his skin had once again began to change to that light pink color it often did when she was involved. Did that mean something? What, then? She didn't want to hope it meant he was thinking along similar lines; though she mentally prayed that was the case. Akari only let out a small chuckle at her reaction, the teen narrowing her eyes as she took in the unnerved pair.

"Oh, what were you thinking about, Big Sis? Don't tell me...You _want_ him t—" Aguri quickly attempted to reach out and cover her brash sister's mouth with her hand, but her position at the table made that impossible. Thankfully Akari saw the heated glare that she was giving off, the almost murderous vibes palpable to the three of them. Aguri didn't want to pressure him into anything, though part of her would feel better if he was there. Yanagisawa knew where she lived; she had invited him over a few times during the beginning of their...engagement. He had made fun of the place, calling it a dump for a low born commoner, saying how appropriate it was that she would live there. He was quite livid about today's events, the scene of only half an hour ago still fresh in her mind. She was still worried that he might attempt to do something. The feeling of eyes on her made Aguri turn her head, her large eyes meeting with two tiny beads that made her face flush for some reason.

"...I'll do it. J-just for tonight, though! I'd be too worried otherwise...I don't trust that scientist not to try and follow her home." The Reaper muttered as his odd arms crossed over each other, his cheeks flushing slightly, though not enough to change the color of his skin entirely. Aguri felt her heart leap to her throat, though she tried very hard to appear calm. He was just doing it out of concern for her well being. _Nothing more_. She mentally reminded herself, lest her imagination get the better of her. She wasn't thinking of anything too crass; at least in her mind she found wanted to be cuddled and kissed on the cheek perfectly normal, if a little daring considering how long they had known each other. Yet she was still embarrassed by the ideas running through her mind.

It's not like she hadn't attempted to be intimate with Yanagisawa, trying to dress and act the part quite often during the beginning stages of their relationship; the man had never returned her affection. She stopped trying soon after; understanding that he did not see her in that way, nor truly wanting that kind of attention from him in the first place. It was more of an act to fool her parents, make it look like things were going well with the engagement. If the man wasn't so involved with his work that he ignored her and treated her like more of a personal servant than a life partner, she might have attempted to give their relationship a chance. He did not however; his constant belittling and physical abuse slowly wearing on Aguri's psyche, until she had lost the ability to truly feel good about herself or her accomplishments. It was only later, after she had met the assassin—and even then many months afterwards, that she dared to try and seek encouragement from anyone other than her little sister. The feeling of something slowly coiling itself around her shoulder, the soft appendage being oddly comforting to the tired teacher yet just jolting enough to bring her out of her train of thought.

"...Alright. We got that settled, but I'm warning you octopus. If you do anything _weird_ to my sister without her consent, I'll turn you into takoyaki!" Akari sternly commented, her voice carrying the hint of a threat there that all three knew wasn't to be taken lightly. Not that he would ever consider it; not unless she specifically asked for him do so, and he doubted that would happen any time soon.

"Of course not! What do you think I am?" He protested, this time causing Aguri to give him a michevious smirk. She pointed her finger at the Reaper's round face, making him blink a couple times in confusion before she spoke her piece.

"Coming from the guy who got a nosebleed after you saw my breasts, I'm not too sure..." The octopus could only let out a shout of discontent as his face once again turned pink, his tentacle qiuckly withdrawing from its place on her shoulder as if he had been burnt.

"C'mooooon! I _am_ a male, you know. I can't help being attracted to...such..." He trailed off, his beady eyes seeming to stare off far into the distance, as if he was remembering something pleasant. Akari only made an angry huff, her arms crossing over one another as she glared at her sister. Aguri only blushes as she watches her inhuman companion turn his head away from her in shame.

"That is what I'm worried about. He seems a bit sketchy, y'know?" Aguri could only nod, a small smile stretching across her face despite the commotion that was going on.

"I'm telling you, I'm not going to do anything. I may be a bit of a pervert, I admit that much, but I am not like _that_ at all!" He shouts before quickly cutting himself off, his skin turning from bright yellow to a deep red in a matter of moments. This causes both the sisters to stare at the octopus in surprise, Aguri quickly covering her head in her hands out of embarrassment. She found it quite cute how he was trying to defend himself. What had she gotten herself into? Well, she didn't really care, but she was getting tired and it was getting late.

"Guys...Please, can we do this later? I'm exhausted. I have test questions to make still, and this place is a mess..." Aguri muttered half heartedly, her head slowly raising up from its slumped position against the small table. The two other occupants at the table just gave her a worried look, her sister starting to speak.

"Sorry, sorry. Still, this guy isn't exactly normal...what if the people who experimented on him want to come get him back? I'm just concerned about your safety..."

"Akari-chan has a point. I'd feel awful if anything happened to her because of me. Which is why I'm only staying tonight; then I'll find somewhere else to go." The Reaper answered, his tone stern as he got up from his seat and motioned to the smaller sister. Akari only let out a small huff, her eyes soft as she watched her sister start to blink her eyes closed, the latter clearly more tired than she had let on. She turned to the large octopus, who only gave a small nod in response as a tentacle began to wrap around her shoulder.

"We should probably get you home, Akari-chan," He whispered, leading the small girl out of the apartment and into the cool night air. It only took them a few seconds to reach the smaller sister's house, the Reaper carefully dropping her off and waiting for her to enter the house entirely as he watched in the shadows, before once again speeding off into the night. He easily arrived at the apartment in a flash, quietly and carefully closing the door before making sure it was locked. _Well, now what to do? This place isn't very large but it'll work fine for tonight. He thought, his eyes scanning the small apartment and narrowing at the state it was in. It wasn't very bad, just a little disorganized really, but it made him want to do something about it._

His gaze lingered on the woman snoring softly in the chair, moving closer to her despite the panicked beating of his heart in his chest. He could hear her even breathing, the sound telling him she was soon asleep, yet still felt compelled to place a tentacle on her soft hair. He felt it slide down her soft locks, his sensitive skin feeling every inch of her, before it slowly moved to the bandage on her cheek. He felt a tinge of anger there, and a bit of regret at letting it happen. If only he hadn't been such a coward; if only he had gone to see her sooner, she wouldn't be in such pain. He felt more of his tentacles wrap around her body gently, carefully lifting her out of the chair and cradling her warm body against him. He reveled in the feeling, knowing that he would not have the chance to do so ever again, even though he wanted to very much. He dearly wanted to be close to her, wanted to protect her from her bastard fiancé who treated her like garbage. But how could he, when he was the most dangerous creature on the planet? The government and Yanagisawa would not let him be; he knew that much. So he wanted to treasure this small time he had, alone, with her, even if she wasn't awake to experience it.

"I want...to stay here...with you. For as long as I have left..."


	6. Embrace

**A/N: Trigger warning for strong female protagonist who isn't afraid to go after what she wants! Get used to it; though I'd like to think it's not too OOC for Aguri...**

Her eyes fluttered open, staring at a familiar round head, who was staring far ahead as if lost in thought. She felt his smooth arms cradling her body almost protectively, the appendages quite warm and comfortable. They almost made her want to fall back asleep, but she mentally chided herself for that idea. She had so much work that still needed to be done for school; not to mention cleaning out her apartment. He would need a more comfortable place to stay than her dingy couch, she told herself, her body squirming slightly as she attempted to stretch out the tiredness in her muscles. Apparently this brought the octopus back from whatever he was daydreaming about, as his black orbs carefully examined her once more.

"Ah, you're awake...You had just fallen asleep too. Sorry, Aguri-san; I must've woken you up..." He muttered, the soft tone of his voice comforting to her. She could tell he was a bit flustered due to their closeness, able to feel his heart beating faster than usual. His face didn't show a hint of nervousness as he began to slowly unravel his tentacles from her body. The exhausted teacher only responds by tightly gripping the front of his robe, giving him pause as he looked into her large eyes.

"No, it wasn't your fault at all, Mr.Reaper. I...I was just thinking of all the things I have to do before tomorrow. As much as I'd like to, I can't just lie here like this." She said as a small smile crept over her bruised face, her hands carefully releasing their hold. She could feel his tentacles tremble slightly underneath her, understanding that even if his face didn't show he was nervous, his limbs did.

"You've had a rough day. I can take care of this stuff in less than a minute! So...Just relax and leave it to me. How about you get ready for bed?" He answered, his usual smile plastered on his face as he brought her to the door leading to her bedroom. She could tell something was off about him though; his wavering eyes and hands didn't lie. He was trying his best to hold back, his two pronged hands shakily caressing her cheek as he opened the door. She didn't want him to go, afraid that if she fell asleep he would leave her. Rationally she knew it was probably for the best; he was a dangerous creature made by the government. They would come after him sooner or later, now that the experiment has failed, seeing him as a liability. Even Aguri knew that the antimatter in his body wouldn't hold up for long. Still...he was the first person aside from her sister and students that treated her like she actually mattered.

"Please...I don't want you to leave just yet. I—" She begged, her face turning a small shade of pink as she watched his eyes for the answer. A pained sigh cut her off, the pair easily entering the small room, neither of them bothering with the lights. The large octopus only carried her to the bed in the room, his color once again changing to that muddy yellow she knew was confusion. The frame creaked slightly as he sat down, still holding her in his arms, the small teacher only looking up at him with her pleading gaze. _I want to tell him...but would he reject my feelings? He is such a kind person at heart, despite his background...I fear he would just to protect me. The world may think of him as a monster, but I...I..._

"I... Y-Yanagisawa only sees me as a tool, not caring about my feelings or self-esteem. He would use me for his own purposes and then toss me aside like I was nothing, despite all the time we've been engaged. Thankfully I have my sister and my students to encourage me when things have been getting rough...You also, have been there for me in the past year; giving me the support and strength I needed..." She starts to say, the Reaper only giving her a confused stare in response.

"Me? I didn't do much, really..." Aguri only offers him a soft smile at his response, one of her hands reaching out to caress his cheek. He feels himself involuntarily flush at the contact, his cheeks reddening slightly. He was also starting to become very flustered, mainly due to her closeness and not being sure at what she was getting at. Though he had an idea; maybe he was setting his hopes too high? _She certainly wouldn't...What am I thinking? I'm just imagining things, probably...Maybe I should've asked Yanagisawa for hentai too..._

"But you did...Mr.Reaper, you have been an almost constant source of support for me the past year. Even if all you did was listen, that still is so much more than Yanagisawa has given me over all the years we have been together. I...I can't just keep lying to myself..."

"Eh? W-W-What do you mean? Aguri-san, y-you must be tired! Why don't you lie down?" He attempts to set the woman down on the bed, lying her head on the comforter covered pillow softly, but he couldn't fully release her from his grip. Her tiny hand was powerfully clenched onto his own 'wrist', the other tugging once again on the front of his robe, keeping him from letting her go completely; though part of him didn't want to. He could have used his speed to escape the situation, but some small part of his mind wondered what would happen if he let it continue. That second of indescision cost him, the small woman tugging at him harshly as she gave him that odd stare that made his heart race. He felt himself fall forward, his eyes wide with shock as he nearly fell onto the woman lying on the bed, using his other appendages to stop himself just before their faces collided against each other. He could feel her breath on his skin, making him quite flustered as he began to blush. Aguri only responded by bringing her face closer, much to the nervous Reaper's surprise, her lips pressing forcefully against his cheek. He felt a tingling sensation spread through him, almost as if he was struck by a bolt of lightning, his tentacles wriggling slightly. Then she broke off the contact, her smooth lips leaving the slightest trace of warmth, a smile on her reddening face.

"If a simple peck on the cheek did _that_ , I'm curious as to what other reactions I could get out of you..."

"O-other...reactions...?" He stammered, his whole body turning pink at the suggestion. Aguri only let out a chuckle, the smile on her face making him feel oddly vulnerable.

"I didn't think you'd react so...adorably. Seeing you get so flustered is interesting; Yanagisawa would only brush me off...If only I...never mind. Mr.Reaper, can I ask you for a favor? Please don't feel obligated..." She mutters, turning her head away from him slightly. He could still hear the pounding of her heart in her chest, making him even more nervous. What could she want now? He was afraid to ask, yet curiosity and his perverted nature egged him on.

"W-what is it? I'd rather not rush into things if possible...and this is going quite fast. N-not that I mind too much, but—" He nervously rambled, until her tiny fingers motioned for him to be quiet.

"Don't worry; I understand. It's just...Could you lay with me until I fall asleep?" Her request surprised him, the idea making him start to feel warm, his face flushing furiously. He felt her hands loosen their grip, though she held on tightly to his hand, his own numerous appendages lifting him up slightly as some of them wavered against the comforter. He only offered a small nod in response, moving himself onto the other side of the bed, lying sideways facing her.

"All right...I can do that much, I suppose. If you keep teasing me like this, however..." He trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air, slightly surprised when he saw her smile back at him a knowing gaze.

"...Fine. I admit I am too exhausted to actually...consider it. Not right now; but maybe at a later time..." She mutters, her statement causing his heart to flutter a bit from the implication, though he tried as hard as he could to calm himself. _She didn't exactly say 'No'!_ He excitedly realized, though he doubted they would ever get that far or have the chance to. Still, he would like to at least have the opportunity to try...The feeling of something tiny and wet colliding against his tentacles repeatedly made him pause in confusion for a moment, raising his eyes to stare at the woman lying across from him.

She had started to cry, small tears running down her face, which felt like a punch in the stomach to him. Panic slowly rose through him as he gently began to wipe the tears off of her face, his two pronged tentacle feeling odd as more tears slid down her face. He felt one of his other tentacles slowly move over to her, delicately pulling her closer to him; despite the internal conflict within him, not wanting to touch her too much and get himself riled up. _What the—these things seem to have a mind of their own sometimes...Or they could be the feelings I'm too scared to show outright..._ He considers, knowing full well that was a possibility. He was never the most outgoing person when he was human, oft keeping any thoughts or ideas he found unimportant to himself, unless they possibly had to deal with his work. Was this a way to compensate for that now? He wasn't too sure; all he knew at the moment was that he wanted to calm the flow of tears sliding down her cheeks, if he was even able.

"...Sorry...I'm not sure what's wrong with me. I'm just thankful that today is over, maybe? So much has happened in such a short time..." Aguri mutters, using the back of her hand to wipe her eyes. He felt her tiny form inch closer to him, making him a bit nervous as her body heat enveloped him. He liked the feeling; it was somewhat comforting to him. He couldn't tell why though...The Reaper just used his appendages to pull the woman into his grip, his hand tentacles wrapping around her head softly, rubbing her hair and face.

"Yeah...It has been a rough day for you, huh? Tomorrow will be better, don't worry...Just try to fall asleep." He hesitantly answers, not too sure of exactly what to say in this scenario. He was worried that his words ran hollow; she had just barely survived an accident that could have killed her, had her fiancé finally break up with her after a physical confrontation, not to mention all the other things that had happened with her before that. _All in one day, too...That would be hard for most normal people to take in. She must have better mental strength than I thought...That seems to have reached its limits now. That's fine; I'll try to be here when she needs it. Can't say I'd do a great job as support though..._ He thinks to himself, feeling her head tilt upward slightly so she could look up at him. Her onyx eyes are still wet with tears, though the flow of moisture has stopped temporarily, her gaze intense as she locks eyes with him once more. He feels her tiny arms wrap around his shoulders, momentarily surprised as her head presses against his chest, her eyes quickly going to the large tie she had given him. She cradled her head against the crescent moon adorned fabric, feeling an odd warmth. She thought she could hear the panicked beating of his heart, which was slowly calming down as the seconds went by, making her own face flush. _He's surprised, isn't he? Awww...At least now he can express...himself better than before...Good for you...Mr.Reaper...I...I hope you...find...something...that makes...you truly happy..._ She thought, her consciousness slowly drifting off into the darkness of sleep.


	7. Sweet Dreams

**A/N: This ch is a request someone sent, no name for safety, though it might suck; best way of having it happen without screwing up my canon right now. Warning for things getting...'hot and steamy' this chapter. Human!KoroXAguri. Censored though and look for uncensored elsewhere, not telling. There will be tentacles involved eventually, fufufufu...**

He just laid there, quietly in the darkness, listening to the comforting sounds of her breathing against him. He was content with this much, for now, as he felt his arms wrap protectively around her small frame. She made a small noise then, surprising him a bit as she moved slightly. He waited for a moment, in case she awakened and wanted some distance between them. He couldn't blame her if she did; waking up next a monster like him would scare anybody. He wasn't so sure of her affection for him, even though he had attempted to go along with it earlier, part of him was insecure about the whole idea. It's not that he didn't have the same feelings; he was all too sure of his own attraction to the human cuddled against his side. What ate at him was the doubt that this would work out well.

 _What could I even offer her?_ He wondered, watching as her body slowly rolled over a bit in his arms. She was still fast asleep, her tiny hands clinging to his robe and making him feel self conscious. He was quite unsure of himself, his tentacles seeming to wobble around a little in response to his lack of confidence. Thankfully they didn't wake the small woman, which he was grateful for. He wasn't sure how to respond if she looked at him now; with those delicate black eyes so full of acceptance, acceptance for what a horrible person he had been and the monster which he had become.

No matter how often he had told her of the horrible things he did while he was human, she never judged him, her eyes always filled with an odd understanding and kindness. He didn't get it. How? How could someone like that, so pure and innocent, so unknowing to the harsh realities of the world fall in love with him, of all people in the planet? Though, he lamented, he wasn't much of a person anymore, was he?

"...Mmm...Oh, dear...I won't let you go...So cute, that face...Hahaha..."

The feeling of her breath against his sensitive skin made him start in surprise. She was still asleep, though her mouth was open and forming words. Mumbled fragments, really, that his superior hearing could easily catch. He felt his cheeks light up as he heard his nickname being said numerous times, a familiar flush coming over his face. It made him wonder what exactly she was dreaming about, though he had a pretty good idea already. Well, if she was content with it, he didn't really care, but it did make him feel quite odd.

He wasn't used to being the target of such feelings; usually he would be the one to 'set things up' as it were. Of course, most of this was for work, though there had been a few times he thought it was sincere. His foolishness had nearly cost him his life on a couple occasions; though that was back when he was young and new to the killing trade. After those incidents, he had promised himself to never become involved again, with either men or women. In his profession, that was like asking to be backstabbed. So he did not bother with such things, unless he was able to use such people in order to get to his targets easier. Those were the lies he had told himself back then, before he had any real idea what becoming attached to someone was like. Not that he had any better idea now; though he knew what he felt for the cute teacher was definitely a new thing for him. He wanted to understand it, what exactly their relationship was at the moment.

He wasn't too sure how to react to this; such an honest display of feelings, whether they were love or lust was another matter entirely. The latter he could probably deal with, having experienced it himself quite a few times. The former, not so much. He couldn't really name anyone who 'loved' him, present company excluded. Even though it wasn't on purpose, Aguri being fast asleep and having no conscious control over her words, he still felt embarrassed by the implications. Then again, he reminded himself, she could be lusting after his human apperance, that one more likely to satisfy her. _Nothing I can do about it now...She would probably love me if I wasn't like this. No person could ever..._ He thought, watching as a large smile erupted across her reddening face, not wanting to wake her despite the odd nervousness he felt. It was probably better to let her be; God knows when the two of them would have a peaceful moment like this again.

Besides, she was only dreaming, and he wasn't even too sure it was about him. It could be about her fiancé for all he knew; though he highly doubted it. The Reaper only let out a small sigh, doubts plaguing his mind as he attempted to fall back asleep. He figured he could use an extra hour or two after all he had been through today. Even with his body the way it was, a regular sleeping schedule was probably an important thing to keep. So he let his mind begin to drift off into the haze of unconsciousness, though his senses were still as sharp as ever. He focused on Aguri's slow breathing, helping him relax, and soon felt his tiredness lull him into the depths of sleep...

Her eyes were quite heavy as she began to open them, her mind hazy from just waking up. She felt quite warm, which at first she assumed was from the blankets covering her. The sensation of something soft wrapping around her, the familiar yellow tendrils protectively encasing her tiny body made her heart leap to her throat. Not out of fear, but of surprise and something else she couldn't exactly fathom at the moment. Any attempt to dig deeper into her thought process only left her mind more foggy and clouded than it was before, which she found a bit odd. Why couldn't she focus?

The teacher only let out a small sigh, her eyes roving over her sleeping companion. _He didn't leave...Good._ She thought, her tiny arms somehow haphazardly wrapped around the octopus's torso. She wasn't keen on removing them just yet, wanting to savor the shared warmth for as long as possible. Aguri knew he would have to leave eventually; she just wanted to enjoy his company while she had it. The feeling of his body sleepily wiggling against hers had the small woman on edge for a moment. Small, beady eyes slowly blinked open as a familiar smile lit up his round face, causing her to copy the expression.

"Aguri-san...Good morning." His voice was soft, no louder than a tiny mutter.

"Good morning, Mr.Reaper...I'm surprised you stayed the whole night. I figured you'd have left by morning..." She responded, causing the large creature to stare at her blankly for a few seconds. He nodded soon after, a small blush creeping on his cheeks.

"Ahahaha...Right! I had been planning to, but I must have fallen asleep. I suppose that's okay, though, if it means I get to wake up to your adorable face!" He answered, causing the teacher to make a small squeal of surprise, a blush spreading across her cheeks. She hadn't thought he'd state it so openly, not that she minded too badly. She just wished she could remember exactly why he had to leave so soon...It was like it was on the tip of her tongue, yet nothing came to mind. Oh well, hopefully it wasn't too big of a deal. She only wanted to spend these calm, quiet moments with him for a little while longer. Aguri felt one of his tentacles gently caress her face, going over the bruise she had received the night before. It felt like it wasn't even there now, his smooth skin making her shiver a bit for some reason. The octopus noticed this, an odd look coming over his face as his skin changed color to a bright pink.

"...What's wrong?" She couldn't answer right away, not entirely sure why she was anxious herself. The teacher only knew that she felt a small warmth start to build at her core, slowly spreading through her body and making her face flush even more. A daring idea crossed her mind then, her newfound energy causing her to try and attempt it. Carefully she removed her arms from around his waist, settling them squarely on his shoulders, which caused him to look at her in confusion. That soon turned into a look of surprise as the teacher gently yet forcefully pushed him onto his back, his face once again turning an odd yellowish-pink as he let out a small squeal.

"Aguri-san, w-what—"

"You said you liked seeing my face, so I figured it would be easier for you if I was closer. You can look at me better from below, right? Besides, now I have better view of that cute face of yours. Such adorable expressions you make..." The Reaper didn't answer her, though she could see the answer clearly in his facial expression and round eyes. _He's practically begging...Maybe I should indulge him a little._ She took that as a sign to continue, a mischievous grin on her face as she began to lower herself slightly. The large creature below her only let out a small nervous squeal, which was quickly cut off by her lips pressing against his mouth, a surprised moan soon following. Aguri could feel his body tremble beneath her, his cheeks slowly turning a deeper pink than before.

It felt the same as when she kissed him on the cheek earlier, his 'mouth' having the same soft texture as his tentacles. He really didn't have any lips to speak of, at least in the traditional human sense. She wondered if she could get away with pushing it further, but she didn't dare use her tongue for fear of overstepping her bounds; she wanted to at least be a little reserved in case he thought less of her for initiating the kiss. Though she was curious; would his tongue feel the same a regular person's? She broke off contact there, needing to catch her breath and to also judge his reaction. The Reaper's face was wearing a large smile, now that familiar pink color she had grown to understand was his way of showing his hidden feelings. Aguri only gave him a sly wink, her hands going to the front of her shirt, a choked gasp being the only response he made.

"Hmm? Can't get eno—Mr.Reaper, what's the matter!?" She began to tease, her coy remark turning to one of panic and sincere concern as soon as she noticed something was off. The wide smile on his face was twisted into a grimace she could only describe as pain, his eyes squeezing shut as his breathing became labored. She wasn't too sure what to do; Aguri was worried anything she might think up would only hurt the octopus further. She just gently moved off of him, her mood dampened somewhat by the small grunts of pain he was making every few moments. It almost seemed like he was having a spasm, his body wiggling uncontrollably, though he still managed to give her a pained smile nonetheless.

"Hrk! Not...your fault...Probably my new...body...Hggn!" He attempted to explain, another odd cough erupting out of him that caused her heart to beat so much faster than before. Aguri hated seeing him in pain, though rationally she knew there was nothing she could do for him at the moment. She only attempted to gently clutch one of his 'hands' hoping that would give him a bit of comfort. She felt a tiny squeeze back, telling her that he was at least conscious enough to notice her. She just didn't like the odd noises that his body kept making, odd squelches and slorps as she felt his hand start to stretch and move. It made her close her eyes, not wanting to see the possible horrors he was going through at the moment. Thankfully it only lasted a couple seconds, though his hand felt like it was hardening and solidifying in her grip. This confused her, Aguri finally opening her eyes, the sound of her companion's heavy breathing making her quite nervous. She wasn't sure what had happened; it was only a small kiss, surely it couldn't have...Though going by the feeling, the teacher could only assume. He definitely felt less octopus-like and smaller than before...

"...What the!?" She heard him exclaim in surprise, the feeling of a clearly human hand clutching her own making her heart race. What in the world had happened to him? She couldn't believe what she saw, a normal human just lying next to her, his disheveled clothes falling off of his now much smaller body. Aguri was surprised sure, but she was more delighted for the person blushing beside her. The man only responds with a soft smile of his own, despite the lingering pain he was probably feeling, one that she knew was completely real and not forced. He almost sheepishly runs a hand through his short, black hair, fidgeting slightly in the robe that was now much too big for him as it slipped off of his now human body. The small teacher only lets out a small chuckle at that, her face reddening slightly as she tries to avoid looking at his protruding lower half, clearly exposed by the lack of blankets covering the man because of his previous spasms. It was mainly out of courtesy for him; though she did admit she was curious as to what it looked like. If only she didn't care too much about what he would think of her, the teacher might've kept her gaze there longer, wanting to soak it in.

"...Your body...It changed back?" She asked, waiting for confirmation on her companion's end. She felt the bed creak a bit as he sat up, the blankets suddenly draping over her shoulders, still unsure if she could turn around or not. A nervous laugh made her peer his way, the feeling of him giving her a small tug on the arm compelling her even further. His blushing face only gave her his usual grin, her heart racing as she felt him pull her towards him.

"I guess so...I definitely feel more human than before...Maybe your kiss had something to do with it?" He joked, his hand going to caress her cheek once again. Although it was quite a bit rough, less smooth than his tentacles had been, she still enjoyed the feeling as shivers of excitement ran down her spine. She felt his other hand wrap around her back, pulling her ever closer to her unclothed companion. A small squeal lept out of her mouth as his face moved closer, his breath tickling her ear as he spoke.

"If that's the case...I think you deserve a reward." She felt his lips pressing hard against her own, an odd warmth starting to spread through her as the contact deepened. She let out a small moan of her own, feeling his hands gently attempt to remove her shirt, pulling it off of her body and tossing it aside. She had wanted to show him her breasts before, in order to see if it would get him going, but then was startled by his sudden coughing fit. She felt his lips move off of hers, his eyes gazing passionately into her own, her voice trembling as she attempted to speak.

"Please...Don't stop there." He easily affirmed her words, his mouth going back in for a second round, this time on her exposed nipple. The feeling of his tongue against her soft skin made her shiver in delight; though she was a little embarrassed at her own reactions. Then again, she could argue he was feeling the same way, going by the ever present blush on his cheeks and odd firmness she could start to feel from him. She moaned as he moved his mouth up her body, planting hard, rough kisses in between the ministrations of his tongue, all the way to her collarbone. He lingered there for a moment longer before adjusting his body so that he was clearly on top, his weight pressing against her, their bodies almost melding together for a few moments.bShe grabbed him by the shoulders, startling the man for a moment, until she once again took the initiative by pressing her lips against his, pulling him down so that she could feel his naked body against her. He was nicely built, despite his small and skinny frame, and she used her hands to explore every inch of him that she could. Aguri enjoyed the feeling of his muscles and smooth skin, running her fingers gently through each area and crevice until she came to his abdominal area. This gave her a bit of pause, causing the two to stop their embrace for a second as The Reaper gave her a sly grin, his black bangs falling in front of his face.

"Hahaha! So cute...You've never done this before, have you? Don't worry; I'll help. Here." He stated, gently taking one of his hands and guiding her own with it, causing her to blush fiercely. She had never been this intimate with a man before; not too sure what to do. He guided her through the process, their mouths entwined once again as her body began to feel like an electric current passed through it. She felt his other hand start to grab the waistband of her pants, causing her to squirm in order to help him move the process along faster...

He opened his eyes slowly, her familiar warmth comforting to him as he adjusted to the lack of light. _Well, it seems I got a couple hours at least..._ He reasoned, going by the time on the electronic clock next to the nightstand. As much as he wanted to, he really couldn't stay here any longer, lest his mere presence brought danger. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if something happened to her because of him. So it was with a heavy heart that he slowly unwound himself from her side, the air starting to feel cold due to the lack of her warmth around him. The large octopus only stares at the sleeping woman below him, gently straightening the blankets near her so that she kept as much heat as possible. He quickly left the room, before he was overcome with the desire to stay, though the act tore at his usually stoic interior. He didn't want to leave her, and he knew she wanted him here, but it would not be safe. His eyes quickly scanned the small apartment, staring at the small space and wondering what exactly felt off. The first thing that jumped out at him was the pile of papers, a closed laptop sitting next to them.

"...Right...She said she was busy making test questions for her job as a teacher. Hmmm..." He mutters, carefully going over to the stack of papers and leafing through them. Shiota Nagisa, Sugino Tomohito, and Hayami Rinka were some of the names he saw among the large pile, around twenty five in all. They were all filled with different kinds of questions; from math, to literature and even some strange home economics. He realized that they were still in the middle of being completed; red pen scribbled over certain parts, cross outs over certain questions and odd comments in the same handwriting sprinkled throughout, most of them chastising the author herself for making such questions in the first place. They were basic things most junior high school kids would be expected to know. At least he assumed. His own method of learning when he was a child was a bit more...unorthodox. He had mostly taught himself by reading, silently, quietly under the covers of some ragged blanket by flashlight; praying that no adults footsteps came near him for fear of being punished. Or worse. Thankfully studying became easier for him as he grew up, the resources more abundant when he was able to move around more freely. A sinking feeling grew in his stomach as he remembered those times, his past still haunting him despite him attempting to distance himself from it. He quickly turned toward the laptop, opening it up and powering it on. It loudly starts up, all manner of beeps and boops going through the tiny speakers, causing the octopus to flinch, hoping the volume wasn't enough to wake the sleeping teacher in the next room. Thankfully he heard no trace of her breathing pattern being disturbed, other than a long snore that caused him to feel a bubbly warmth spread through his body. _So cute...I can do this. Now, where to start?_

 _Okay...everything's all set!_ He mentally declared, looking at the new sheets of paper with an odd feeling of pride in his chest as he laid them carefully on the table. It had only taken him an hour, but all of the questions were finished to a student. He figured he hadn't done too bad either; though maybe it was a bit much to tailor each question to a particular students strengths and weaknesses. He had figured if he was going to try and help, he might as well give it his all. Besides, most of the material relating to the students was easily accessible to him, Aguri having kept it in a small binder near the papers she had been working on. Using that, it only took him a few minutes to find appropriate questions for each one of them. He only let out a small resigned sigh as he walked toward the door of the small apartment, his heart fighting a losing battle against his rational mind as his tentacle easily wound around the door.

"It's for the best...Staying would only endanger her. This is goodbye, Aguri."


	8. Moving On

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was a distinct chill. It only took her a few sleepy seconds to figure out what was causing it, her eyes focusing on the empty space on the bed that was once occupied. _So...He really did leave...Then what was..._ She ponders, the remnants of her dream slowly slipping away from her. She couldn't remember anything really about it, aside from the fact he was there. No matter how hard she tried to remember, nothing came to mind, her head laying against the pillow almost pitifully as she attempts to wake up. The thought left her a bit confused, her hands wavering slightly as she slowly began to remove the warm comforter and sit up. She didn't want to leave her nice bed; the chill starting to run through her once again as she remembered his gentle face.

"...That's right! I still have things I need to do..." She mutters to herself, the thought sending a pulse of adrenaline through her body. There was so much to do to prepare for her first job; and not too much time to do it, either. The small woman gingerly got out of bed, her bare feet plodding against the cold, hardwood floor of her room. It was quite silent apart from the sound of her own steps as she walked towards the door, only confirming her suspicions that she was the only person in the apartment. _Well...I might as well take a quick shower first..._ Aguri reasoned, trying to find a good way to get her day going. So she plodded towards her tiny bathroom, the lights flickering on after a quick press of the switch; though her attention was drawn to the small table mirror on the counter.

"... I'll have to cover that up later..." She mutters, looking at the large blemish on her face that still had not fully healed after last night, a yawn erupting out of her mouth as she sleepily began to remove her clothing. Thankfully it only took her around fifteen minutes to shower and dry herself off, wrapping a towel quickly around her slightly wet body before she went back into her bedroom. Going to her closet, the small woman quickly picked out her outfit that she had prepared earlier that week; one of her favorite shirts and some simple bottoms. She rather liked the outfit, though the voice in the back of her mind told her that her fiancé would disapprove of it, as he usually did. _Why should I care what he thinks anymore? I don't have to work for him, so he can't slap me around just for wearing my shirts!_ She argued with herself, shutting the closet door and walking out into the hallway of her apartment.

"Hmm?" The first thing she noticed was how neatly everything was placed. No longer were the papers in a disorganized jumble around the couch, and they were even separated nicely for each child. Curious, Aguri began to carefully leaf through the bundles of questions, an odd feeling welling up inside her as she did so. She knew who had done it of course; there was no doubt of that. The main thing she wondered was why? The teacher could only feel warmth spreading through her body at that thought; she knew why, though part of her believed she was only imagining things. She wanted to believe in her indulgent fantasies, as incredulous as they might be. Yet it was with a heavy sigh that she shook the thoughts out of her mind, surprise running through her as she examined the question packets more closely. _Every question had been tailored for all of them...This is better than I could do, for sure. Well...I suppose that's settled; now to eat breakfast and get going!_ She reminds herself, quickly moving away from the leaflets to inspect the inside of her fridge.

"Tch...Running out of milk...and eggs...I might have to go shopping this week..." She mutters to herself, disappointed at the meager amount of food. Still, Aguri was able to whip up something simple to eat, even going so far as to use the leftovers for lunch. It wasn't because she was poor that she did so; she thought of herself as doing well off considering her job. It was just easier for her in the long run to scrimp and save. Quickly packing the leftovers into a container, the teacher only sighed as she gathered up the leaflets and laptop, heading out the door...

"You'll have to do better than that, nyuhuhu!" He taunts, using his superior speed to easily dodge the gunfire headed his way. The fighter jet only increases its pace, still no match for him even at his lower speeds as he soared through the air. He lazily followed the jet, even going so far as to circle around it a couple times while effortlessly dodging the spread of machine gun fire. The pilot inside could only stare at him in a mixture of frustration and incredulity; The Reaper only offering a small wink in response. They had no idea who, or what, they were dealing with.

 _I guess they just don't get it, huh?_ He thought, considering his predicament. This was the second fighter jet to come after him; the fourth attempt on his life at the moment. Surely, he figured, the military would have known better by now. He had easily dispatched his previous foes, a simple platoon of what they had called 'the best' officers in Japan, even being gracious enough to do without using lethal force. Then again, that was more so they could live to tell the tale and not mess with him further, than any idea of sparing the fools. The octopus figured he would do the same for this pilot, but first he would show him exactly what the man was dealing with. If he could deal with a couple heavy artillery tanks, a jet like this was nothing at all. So, he easily flew in front of the jet's continuous stream of gunfire, watching with an odd fascination as he saw the pilots expression turn from one of surprise to glee.

"Yes! Wait, huh??" He could watch the man's mouth move, clearly able to hear his muffled exclamation of surprise through the dome of the cockpit. The metal bullets were no obstacle to him now; they merely felt like a gentle poke or tickle against his skin. He could feel his skin heat up at the contact, an odd sensation and one that he was not yet fully used to, the metal easily congealing into a medium sized sphere. He held the thing aloft before the pilot, who only stared back at him with widening eyes, his face gaunt as rivulets of sweat dropped down his face.

"See? I told you before; you have no idea what I'm capable of. Now, I suggest you leave before I start to get serious." He limply threatened, not really wanting to hurt the man, only hoping to scare him off with idle threats. It seemed to have worked, the jet easily retreating and vanishing from his sight after a few moments. He sighed, partly from exhaustion and partly from something else. The Reaper was tired, that much he could admit, of dodging the constant barrage of attacks that came his way. They didn't seem to stop anytime soon, either, taking today into consideration.

"Well...at least Aguri isn't put into any danger. I don't think I could forgive myself if something happened to her because of me..." He muttered, his thoughts going back to the small teacher for a moment. He could still remember the feeling of her in his arms—or rather tentacles—her breathing slow and steady as she slept at his side, warmth filling his being at the thought. How he wished he could be with her now! But that would be irresponsible and dangerous on his part. So he ignored the dull ache in his heart, telling himself that being selfish would only hurt her in the long run. He didn't doubt the government or that sly Yanagisawa would use her to catch him. After all, what was the life of one human woman against the entire planet? For them, it would be an easy and logical decision. For him, imagining her in that helpless state left him feeling powerless and guilt ridden.

"Oh, snap out of it! Aguri's fine; she can take care of herself. I should worry more about myself. I'll need somewhere to live...and food, too." He pondered, considering his options. Of course he could always steal food using his speed, and previous experience. Being born poor had taught him how to fight to survive, and that often meant taking from those who had more. A loaf of bread there, a carton of milk there could go a long way for starving, malnourished six year old. Yet that was a long time ago, and he highly doubted he'd need to use such methods again, even without access to any of his old funds or bank accounts. Well, he'd figure it out as he went along, he supposed, watching the clouds drift lazily in the sky...

 _Why don't they see the gravity of the situation? Those damn fools!_ The scientist mentally remarks, trying to keep the exasperated expression on his face from showing to the older men in front of him. He felt the veins on his temple throb in anger, his frustrations with what the country considered its top military network reaching its limit.

"...Relax, Yanagisawa-san. We understand the gravity of the situation; we are the ones who hired you to take on that experiment in the first place. Still, to think that the test subject could escape like that...after all the precautionary measures we took. Our troops alone are not getting anywhere either; tanks, jets, missiles, nothing we do seems to work. The power of antimatter is not one to be underestimated..." One of the older men remarked, folding his wrinkled hands over each other as he leaned back in his chair. Yanagisawa could only grind his teeth in frustration, gesturing to the presentation behind him, attempting to gather himself long enough to speak his thoughts once more.

"I'm sure you've seen what the other subject did to the moon! That was only a mouse; think of the damage this fool could cause...We need to find and contain him, now! For the sake of the country—no, the entire planet!" One of the other men at the large table clears his throat, a rough, harrowing couch echoing throughout the small room. All eyes are fixed on him for a moment, before he also begins to stand.

"What exactly do you suppose we do? Going by the analysis you've showed us, even the best military equipment in Japan won't be enough to stop that thing. I think we may have to let some of the bigger countries in on this...Maybe they can help." He states, causing one of the other men seated nearby to slam their fist on the table.

"Nonsense! If Japan was able to create such a monster, we surely have the means to destroy it! Scientist, weren't you the main man responsible for the project?" Yanagisawa only responds with a curt nod, quickly turning back to the presentation on the wall.

"Yes...And I know of more than a few ways to get rid of it. If you could just permit me to...atone for my...mistake by being in charge of this operation, I will see it done." He answers, causing several of the men to nod in agreement, though he could still see their brows furrowed in frustration. This was the chance he was looking for; to take out that damnable assassin for ruining his experiment and his pride. No one played Kotaro Yanagisawa for a fool. No one.

"Tch...I don't really like it, but for now it's the best we have until we get the other nations aboard. We'll give you access to any funding and materials you need. On one condition. That monster must be killed in two weeks; no less. We must keep this a national secret for now until we can convene with the other world powers on a way to destroy this thing."

"Of course...I won't fail you. It will be as good as dead."

Time seemed to move exponentially fast for her, minutes turning to hours and the hours blending into days. Aguri thankfully was kept busy by her schoolwork, her other job no longer an option due to the secretive nature of the failed project. Surprisingly, she hadn't heard word from her fiancé about the job, though Aguri put it out of her mind for now; she assumed she would eventually. All the better; she didn't want to come into contact with him just yet, still quite angry with him. She wasn't so sure what she would do if she saw her fiancé again. The Reaper was true to his word; he hadn't come to see her at all since that day, and she felt heartbroken, though she understood why. It would be best for the two if they did not interact, she knew that. Yet, her mind was often consumed with thoughts of him, mostly for his well being. Where was he now? Was he safe? She dabbled on these ideas constantly while she lay in bed, worried for him.

It had been at least four days since her last meeting with either of the two men, Aguri busy cleaning her apartment after a long day of teaching. Making lunch and dinner for herself every day to save costs had meant the kitchen was seemingly a little more grimy than usual; the teacher surmising the whole place could finally use a good scrubbing while she was at it. Hearing footsteps from outside her apartment walls, she tensed in alarm for a moment, the tiny rag she was using to wash the kitchen counter going slack in her hand as she felt her pulse quicken. The steps finally stopped at her door, the chime of the bell causing her to stand up from her work, even though her hands were wet up to the forearms from cleaning.

She answered the ringing door to her apartment, a slight twinge of hope fluttering in her heart as she opened the door. That hope was dashed as she saw a familiar sneering face, cold eyes examining her once again and making her feel useless. She could feel her heart rate increase, a mixture of surprise and fear. She didn't like this man, and had known him long enough to understand that his coming here was not for her sake. Everything he did was often for himself, which saddened her; if he could only learn to appreciate and trust others, maybe he would not have grown to become so callous and selfish. However, Aguri wasn't so foolish to think she could change him; she had tried for the past year or so they had been together, her efforts fruitless since he saw her as nothing more than a tool for using.

"Yanagisawa-san?" The man only clicked his tongue at her in annoyance as his eyes raked over her small form, his eyes as cold and calculating as he began to speak.

"Aguri...How have you been?" She was surprised at his question, though she recognized the disinterested tone of his voice as she only stared at him in confusion. Maybe he had actually come to apologize, she hoped, though the back of her mind told her to be wary. He never really bothered to come see her before, only making the sparse visit on occasion, so why do it now? A frown settled on her face, the fear and anger from their last encounter still weighing heavily in her mind.

"What do you want? I'm busy, if you don't mind...Sorry, now isn't a good time; I'm in the middle of cleaning my apartment." She responds, half-heartedly making up an excuse for him not to come inside. She really didn't want to see him; even now she could feel his callous gaze bore into her, judging her for simply being. The man frowned at her words, crossing his arms over each other.

"It won't take long. I...have some things I wish to discuss with you." She blinked, confused for a moment on what possibly brought him here just to talk. He easily walked next to her into the small apartment, another noise of disapproval erupting out of his mouth as he took in the place.

"...Still as small and suffocating as ever. You've had this apartment for four years, almost. Don't you think it's about time for a change?" He comments, causing the teacher to let out a small sigh at his remark. Maybe he was trying to sound concerned, she told herself, though he had an odd way of going about it. He wasn't very good at complimenting other people without it sounding like an insult. She only turned to look at him, her eyes narrowing slightly in anger at the trail of dirt he left on her floor.

"...What do you need from me, exactly? I told you before, I don't want to be with someone like you..." She states clearly, her eyes burrowing into the taller man as she turned her head to look at him. She felt an odd jab at her side then, the sensation of something cold being pressed against her torso causing her to look down. The metal barrel of a gun was pressed into her side, his hand clearly on the trigger, making her heart pound with fear. Just what was he doing? His eyes bore into hers, and she could feel the menacing hatred there, just pure anger and something else she could not describe.

"Ah, but you see, Aguri...I _need_ you."

 **A/N: Don't worry, Aguri isn't going to be a plot device/damsel in distress; I'd rather that role go to Korosensei lol.**


	9. Planning

"Well, how was I supposed to know? I thought you were in trouble!" He pouts, slightly hard to hear over the wail of the alarm, pursing his odd lips together in a frown that Aguri would have found cute if it weren't for the situation they were in currently. She just lets out a heavy sigh, her eyes staring at the monitor right in front of her. The LCD display only made her stomach churn; though she grit her teeth and turned away from it for a second to look at him. He was quite pitiful in that state, a tiny ball that she had to place on the solid ground for now, who was probably grateful for the nice view.

"I'm not as helpless as you or Yanagisawa think I am, you know..." She responds, causing him to flinch as if he had been struck, another odd color change taking place.

"I didn't say that! J-just..." The Reaper trails off, his face becoming a slight shade of pink as he muttered the next words. Thankfully for him, Aguri was too occupied with the puzzle in front of her to notice, her eyes scanning the mostly bare concrete walls for any sign of escape. She couldn't really find anything, though a cabinet that was thankfully filled with curious bottles caught her attention. What kind of fool would leave that here? She smiled as she beheld the bottles, most of them familiar components due to her background in chemistry.

"I could do something with this..." She mutters, taking a couple of the bottles and bringing them back to the monitor. If she was careful, seeing as no safety equipment was readily available, Aguri reasoned she would be able to concoct a mixture that could hopefully melt the walls. Or at least make a big enough spot for her to crawl out of with him in tow, she supposed. A small squeal causes her to stop in her contemplation, her round companion rolling about on the floor towards the large, heavy metal door. Sadly that was not an escape option for them current, the door being covered with all sorts of locks and contraptions that made it impossible to open. She stole a look at the odd door, wondering if the chemicals in her hands could melt that instead. It was certainly less thick than the wall, and easier to get out from. She nods, already forming a plan in her mind as she gathered more beakers.

They didn't have to do too much once they got out anyway; The Reaper had already knocked most of the personnel out on his way inside the small building. Which she noted; he apparently didn't kill any of them, from what he told her of his venture. She figured to take him at his word, he had no real reason to lie and she was happy for the slight change he seemed to be going through. Aguri doubted he would have bothered leaving them alive before his transformation, or maybe his capture. Yet she was slightly curious as to why...What causes this sudden change of heart in him? She realized he had done the same thing when they escaped the original facility; only leaving the guards and military personnel in positions where neither of them would be hurt. Putting those thoughts aside for the moment, as she could always ask him later, the teacher only turned to the chemicals before her, a determined glint in her eyes...

"O-o-o-oooh, dear..." She heard the sphere below her mutter out, too busy focusing on holding him steady against her body. The fit was tight with the both of them, the hole smaller than she had originally planned, but they had managed to squeeze out of the room readily enough. Despite his odd protests and sputtering noises; which she now understood were due to embarrassment, his face pink inside the round sphere. Lifting him up to eye level, Aguri only glared at him, his face wearing an expression she couldn't place before turning an even deeper pink.

"...I don't even want to know. You remember how you found this place?" She asks, feeling her own face heat up in response. That confused and worried her; why was he thinking about something like that at a time like this? Thankfully The Reaper immediately responded, though his voice was a bit shaky.

"R-right. Hmm...If we go left here, then..." He starts giving detailed directions, Aguri following them to the letter, easily able to navigate despite the size of the large complex. Luckily, most of the guards and security had been knocked out cold, posing no threat to the two as they slowly made their way out of the abandoned complex. It seemed like ages until they finally made it out into the evening light, the dying rays of the sun basking them in a mix of orange and red. Aguri only let out a long sigh, shifting the small sphere in her arms to better hold him.

"I wasn't expecting it to be that easy...We were pretty lucky. How long are you going to be stuck like that, anyway?"

"...Thankfully not too long. Only around 24 hours or so; maybe even less now." He responds, looking up at the human teacher. His next words were oddly quiet, a note of sadness in his usually cheerful tone.

"It's better if you leave me behind. I—" Her stern glare cuts him off before he could continue, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. He felt awful at seeing that, but knew it was the right thing to do. What he heard next, however, made him wonder if he was imagining things.

"Absolutely not! I'd never forgive myself...If...if anything happened." The sound of her voice so frail sounding nearly crushed his resolve, but he attempts to continue with his argument, wanting her to see reason.

"...It's dangerous for you to be around me. This is why I left in the first place; so you wouldn't become involved in this. That was foolish of me; I should have known he would stoop to such tricks. Then again, I suppose that _is_ what caused this incident in the first place." He mutters, feeling her lift him up so that she was looking directly at him. "Maybe I shouldn't have left at all? To use you as bait...Damn him; Yanagisawa knew that I would come, despite knowing it was a trap. He's quite devious; more ruthless than I realized." The Reaper mutters, sighing as he considered his options. Not like he had many; being unable to move at the moment hindered him greatly. Still, he wasn't totally useless like this, he reminded himself. _Now that we know he would stoop even to kidnapping to get to me, I really worry for her safety. Next time, I might not be able to minimize the potential damage. Not to mention, Akari-Chan could also become a target, seeing as she is Aguri's sister...What to do in this case? Can't be helped, I'll just have to..._ He felt himself start to heat up at the thought, his skin surely reflecting his inner turmoil. Yet, as he felt her gaze on him, he could only focus on the warmth that was radiating from her eyes, the sparkling kindness that he had oddly grown accustomed to.

"Look, we can talk more about this when we get home. If we can get home, anyway. Let me see if I can call a taxi or find a bus. We aren't too far from the actual city, thankfully." Aguri says, causing him to roll in his confined sphere, unable to do much else other than pout.

"Really? You think they're going to let you walk away with me like this? Just put me down and—" He protests, his expression changing from neutral to slightly angry in a matter of seconds. He didn't really care about himself, as long as she was alright. Which wouldn't be the case if she kept walking around with a world kept secret in her arms. He felt himself shift forward then, her nose pressing up against the odd surface as the small figure only gave him a stare that would hold no room for argument. He could see the odd determination in her eyes, and knew it was too late to change her mind now.

"You are coming with me, body or no body, and that's final. It's only 24 hours, right? I think I can last that long without getting into any more trouble!" He just sighs, still angry with her but knowing she wouldn't budge on the issue no matter what he said. Not that there was anything he could do as a talking sphere anyway.

"Just keep quiet and act like a beach ball or something; no one would suspect that."

"Not a bad idea, and I guess I have no other choice, do I?" He asked, a sly smile being his only response as she started walking, heading towards one of the livelier areas of the small city taking out her phone.

 _How? How? Goddamn those two!_ He thinks, watching the scene play out before him. The annoyed scientist only slams his hand down on the console, using it to ignore the stinging pain in his chest. She was just an ordinary woman, a damned school teacher! How could she have thwarted his plans so utterly? He had forgotten, the more he stared into the LCD display, forgotten the power and determination in those usually soft eyes.

That he had so cruelly snuffed out with his own callousness. It tore at him; the odd twinge in his chest as well as the anger he felt at watching those two wiggle away from underneath his heel. The octopus he had expected; Aguri was the issue here, the wild card. He curses himself, his foolishness in forgetting her, disregarding her. If he had taken the woman's resourcefulness into account, maybe he could have done a better job at containing them both. Well, he figured it wasn't all too bad; he had learned of a new weakness for the pest, one that he could now think about when incorporating his strategy. Then they'll see how he was not be trifled with; that he wasn't a useless failure like they made him out to be!

"See? Safe and sound, just like I said!" She exclaims, closing the door to her apartment shut. He can only let out a weary sigh, despite her odd enthusiasm, understanding the true nature of their situation. They would continue to hound him, renlentlessly, until he was dead. They wouldn't care about Aguri getting the way, most likely dying in the process. That thought scared him, more than he was willing to admit. At least they were somewhat alright for now; he didn't see anything suspicious as they rode to her complex, no soldiers or any government officials stalking them like he expected they would. Maybe they hadn't heard about the capture attempts failure. But they would; and that was when trouble would start. He had to come up with a counter plan, or at least some way to have them leave the Yukimura family alone. So he thought as he watched her gently plop him down on the couch, mind racing with ideas to ensure their safety, watching her go about her nightly routine. It was only when she was on her laptop, grading papers at the small table she ate at earlier did inspiration strike him.

"That's it!" He yelled out, his voice much louder than he intended, Aguri making a tiny squeal of surprise as she turned to look at him. The confusion was clear on her face, brows scrunched and frown clearly evident as she looked him over.

"Aaiiee! What!? What are you talking about?" She asked him, getting up from her work to come and sit next to him. He felt himself be lifted up, gently resting in her lap, trying his best to ignore the distracting sight in front of him to word his thoughts.

"Uhhh...I think I found a way to keep things from getting as...problematic as they did today. If I was on my own, Yanagisawa and the government would probably have no qualms about using you or Akari-Chan as bait. If I stay with you, I'd pull you into the assassination attempts, which is unfair. I believe I've found a way to keep you both safe." He explains, causing the teacher to look at him worriedly.

"You're not giving yourself up! I'm not—"

"What? No, no no. You misunderstand. If I make an environment in which the government can assassinate me while putting your safety as a priority, they surely wouldn't object to those terms!"

"I don't get it...How would you do that?"

"By becoming a substitute teacher, of course!" She nearly drops him, his spherical form almost rolling off of her legs, her mouth opening in shock as she just stares at his round face.

"Eh? What? What are you even saying?" He only laughs, a soft chuckle that makes her heart leap. She only holds him in front of her face, his grin returning once again as his beady eyes sparkled.

"No, seriously! The material they use to hurt me is partically useless to regular people. It wouldn't even cause a scratch! If I'm in one place where I am easily accessible, such as a classroom, then there would be no need to drag you into it as bait to lure me out. See? We just need to work out an agreement to keep them to their word! They'd be fools not to!" He explains, his plan slowly making more sense to the confused human. _I guess that makes sense...I'd rather him not be hurt at all; though I know that is a unrealistic wish._ She thought, holding him up so that she could stare at him.

"...I mean, if you want to..." He nods, more of an odd wiggle than anything, though she was genuinely curious as to why he would choose to do that.

"Why a teacher, though?" He turned bright pink at the question, avoiding her eyes almost sheepishly as he muttered out a response.

"W-well...While I was in that cell...watching you make questions for your students. Your determination inspired me, I guess..." He carefully watched her change of expression, her face flushing with embarrassment as her cheeks turns red, a smile painting her pale face.

"R-really? I mean, I didn't do much of anything..." She admits, her own onyx eyes avoiding his now as she felt self-conscious under his gaze.

"Of course! Don't sell yourself short, Aguri! You really are something and..." He mutters the last few words, her hearing unable to catch them despite their proximity to one another. She just pulls his immobile form closer to her, The Reaper letting out an uncharacteristic squeal as he is pressed against her chest. He could feel the wetness of tears splash on his spherical casing, making him look up to see her crying face. They were tears of joy, a smile that finally reached her eyes greeting him as he looked at her.

"Oh...you're too kind, Mr.Reaper! I'm really not..." She broke off then, a small sob escaping her throat. She wasn't used to genuine compliments, having been under Yanagisawa's heel for so long; the man rarely offering any sort of comforting gesture to her. She was slightly shaken by the praise, butterflies in her stomach. Her body filled with an odd warmth as she began to stand up, carrying the ball against her chest. She shot the round ball a mischievous grin as she walked into the hallway, eyes gleaming with an fire that made The Reaper feel...odd.

"I'm not letting you go tonight. You're sleeping with me, and there's nothing you could do about it." He nearly screamed at her words, shaking terribly at her suggestion, blood starting to pool out of the small orifice that was now his nose. He could only babble incoherently, cursing his luck that he didn't have a body right now. She didn't know what she was getting herself into. Once he had his form back, he'd make sure to teach her the error of her ways. If she wanted to, that is, his mind reeling as his fantasizes played out before him. Yes, he was going to get her back for teasing him so badly.


	10. Promises

"Look! That...that _monster_ is holding a young woman hostage!" They hear one of the men shout through the glass, several of them letting out astonished gasps of their own. Aguri only tries her best not to grin, a couple tentacles wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly. Or at least that was what she hoped it looked like to the men watching. The feeling of something lightly brushing up against her side made the small woman jerk uncontrollably, a gasp erupting out of her throat. She only gives a heated glare to The Reaper, who only hums softly, his beady eyes avoiding her intense gaze.

"That...tickles…" She manages to say, watching as his cheeks flush pink, the grin on his round face only growing bigger. The sound of guns going off startles the woman, a tentacle quickly snapping out and catching the bullets. She can only watch as they just sizzle inside the long appendage, grey goo dripping onto the ornate carpeted floor. She breathes a sigh of relief at seeing the arm is completely fine.

"Heheheh…What are you doing? Those bullets won't work! Now, as I was saying…I would like to propose a deal…" He states his terms, Aguri trying to keep her expression neutral as he relays them. To be a teacher's assistant at a junior high school; they must have thought he was insane. She couldn't blame them; why would he stay with her and put himself in harm's way? A small voice decided to speak up inside her then, saying; ' _He cares about you.'_ The teacher is flustered at her own thoughts, having trouble focusing on the conversation happening in front of her.

"Why would we even consider making a deal with a monster like you?" She hears one of the men shout, several others nodding in agreement. The Reaper only lets out a small sigh, shaking his head.

"Think of it this way; you have a much better chance of killing me if I am in one place and can't move. Since we all know," He stops speaking, his face slowly becoming covered with those green stripes she noticed when he was being cocky.

"You haven't had much luck otherwise. Missiles, tanks, jet planes, even the anti-me weaponry you were so proud of...All useless…" She feels some of his tentacles move as the long appendages cross over each other. He just lets out a small snicker, his other limbs easily catching any other bullets they shot at him. He was even able to block the Anti-Reaper shots, using a couple knocked over chairs to deflect them. All this, while carrying her and not moving an inch. He really was powerful; and he wanted the world leaders to understand that.

"I see...So you don't care about what would happen to this poor woman's life? Technically, all thirty of you would be accomplices in that case." He says, eyes narrowing dangerously as she feels his tentacles wrap around her torso again. It was more firm then before, but not enough to make her uncomfortable. What was a problem for her though, were the incessant tendrils gently raking along her sides and stomach. Their touch was light and delicate, their protruding bulges hardly noticeable under her lab coat and t-shirt. Yet every small touch made her body squirm, feeling as if an electrical current was passing through her. Aguri couldn't contain the tears starting to stream down her face, her head jerking backwards against his robe, small sobs escaping her lips.

"Aah...Aaahhh…"

"All right! We understand your terms. Just stop torturing that poor girl." She heard one of them say, barely able to catch her breath after the tickle attack she had been through. He broke out into a grin then, limbs wiggling as he spoke in a lilted tone.

"Glad we could come to an agreement, gentlemen. Now, to set up a contract…"

"Well...that went better than expected, didn't it?" She hears him say, attempting to turn her head his way to look at him. Aguri only smiles, keeping her eyes peeled for what would be the blurry shape of her apartment in the night sky. They were flying quite fast, and yet she didn't too cold or bothered by the wind, despite its usual chill. The human woman understood why; The Reaper's various appendages slicing through the air seemed to act like a cushion of sorts, keeping the worst of it from getting to her tiny frame. Before she knew it, he had already touched down at the entrance to her apartment, using the key he procures from her pocket to get them both inside.

Much to her relief, The Reaper finally releases his hold on her, setting the woman down in the floor next to him. She was glad, yet a little disappointed; Aguri enjoyed the sensation of being nestled against him. She just begins to get ready for bed, when a perfect idea strikes her.

"You are...such a jerk!" She playfully shouts, taking off her shoe and throwing at The Reaper. He only emits a panicked squeal, dodging said projectile and scooping it up in his hand.

"Aw, what did I do!?" The grin on his face easily gives him away however, Aguri exaggeratingly frowning at him in response as she took off her other shoe.

"That...tickling thing. Don't lie and say you didn't know!" He only grins wider at her response, face once again becoming a mix of green and yellow stripes. The small human woman only saunters up to him, unfettered, unable to hide the slight blush in her cheeks.

"Still, we should probably celebrate your new position...Don't you think?" She asks, her voice lowering considerably, a familiar glint in her eyes. His expression goes from cocky to surprised almost instantly, stripes replaced with a deep pink. Exactly what Aguri was hoping for. He understood completely what she meant with that tone, and he felt trembles along his entire body from the anticipation. His eyes narrow, focusing only on the woman below him, who just stares back at him with those hopeful eyes.

"Are you sure…?" He asks, concerned she had no clue what she was getting into. He didn't really know either; could his body even do those kinds of things now? He wasn't too sure himself; and part of him didn't want to hurt her by accident out of their ignorance. If his trembling limbs and slightly overactive imagination were anything to go by however, he assumed that the base tendencies were the same. A pull on his robe stopped his worried contemplation, her small hand looking slightly out of place against the large garment. Her eyes were fierce as she looked at him; filled with that powerful determination and strength he had fallen for in the first place. If that hadn't told him everything he needed to know, her next words confirmed it for The Reaper.

"I love you. The man I fell in love with over the course of a year; who helped me learn to treasure myself and fight for my own sake. It doesn't matter to me what you look like...Honestly, I prefer this better…" She muttered, her face turning a deep pink as heat rose to her cheeks. He felt the same heat and intensity flood through his body, like an electric charge, reenergizing him despite their long day.

"I l-love you too…"


	11. Fullfillment

He had told himself this could never happen. It was impossible, ridiculous. That he had the capacity to still do so was startling to him. If you had asked The Reaper a year ago whether he could fall in love, he would have looked at you like you were insane; probably ending your stupid questions with a single bullet to the head. Now though, so much had happened to change his life. Some of it for the worse, but mainly for the better.

The small woman clinging to his giant body, the odd thing he had become, her eyes not judging him, only seeing him for who he truly was...It was inexcusable proof to him. Proof that he still had the capacity in his heart to care for others, to love. For why else would she give him that glare that set his nerves on fire, limbs twitching as he tried to resist the ever growing urge to wrap his arms around her. He wanted to use his new powers to protect her, keep her as safe and happy as he was able. He also wanted to do other things, scenarios running through his head at an astonishing rate, his heart rate increasing exponentially as he felt the changes start to happen to his new body.

He felt his skin start to heat up, the feeling growing more prominent in his cheeks, his long tentacles slowly coiling around the small teacher's body. She just held onto the appendage that served to be his fingers, interlocking it with her own as she looked up at him, with that knowing and pleading gaze. She knew what he wanted; and this was her way of saying yes.

"Well, Mr.Reaper, what are you waiting for?"

"H-huh!?" He stutters, confused for a moment as he looks down at her. Aguri only offers him a sly smile, pulling on the hem of his robe, making him let out a small squeal of surprise as his face collided with hers. Her lips were eager, planting various small kisses along his face, which was slowly turning pink due to embarrassment.

"Well, if that's how you want to do things…" He teases, his smirk only growing as he used his numerous tentacles to scoop up her tiny frame, cradling her gently. He could feel the heat of her body against him, her temperature rising from embarrassment, if her blushing face was any indication. He wasted no time walking to the bedroom, placing her gently on the bed, lights off for both their benefit. The Reaper was only able to climb onto the small mattress, his large body looming over her clothed form, mentally preparing himself for what was going to happen next.

"What's wrong?" Of course she could tell he was hesitating. It was stupid of him to think otherwise. Aguri was always able to see right through him; or at least that was how he saw her. She was doing the same now; her onyx eyes staring into his wistfully, making him tremble with anticipation. He knew he had to answer her, but it was difficult for him to get the words out properly.

"A-are you sure about this, Aguri? It might not be...exactly pleasant for you, you know…" He stutters, concern flashing across his face. He really wasn't sure of what his body could do; he didn't want to hurt her any more than necessary. Her soft, melodious chuckle rang in his 'ears' then, her outstretched hand nearly reaching to caress his face. He just felt several of his tentacles unfurl themselves from around his being, poking out of his sleeves.

"It's fine. I trust you; I don't believe you'd hurt me intentionally." She replies, her voice clear and confident. Those words made his heart soar, happiness swelling up within him. God, how could one small woman captivate him so completely? He'd have to be careful; he wanted this to be as wonderful for her as he hoped it would be for him. The Reaper just leans his head down, using his new invertebrate form to his advantage as he feels the soft skin of her face against him. Something small and wet pressed up against his cheek then, the feeling of her warm breath against his skin making him shudder.

The sensation left him a moment later, part of him wondering how he could reciprocate in kind. He didn't really have any lips to speak of; though he did his best to try and nuzzle his round face against hers, feeling her lips give him soft kisses all along the sides of his face. That was okay, he supposed, though he wished he was able to do more for her. Well, he certainly could think of something later; they had only just started really. He just tries to ignore the rapid palpating of his heart underneath his tie, keeping his large body steady as he slowly separates from the woman below him, tentacles wrapping themselves underneath the small of her back.

He stares into her eyes one last time, making sure she was truly committed to this, marveling at the determination and slight coyness he found there. She really was waiting for this, wasn't she? Of course, if she said she needed to stop part way through, it wouldn't bother him in the least. He could at least admit to himself he was slightly hesitant about going through with it. Though that was more to do with how his body would react than anything else; not to say he wasn't nervous about what they were going to do tonight. He had fantasized about this moment several times now, though he knew nothing could compare to the warmth he felt at having the real thing huddled so close to him, eyes seeming to peer into his very soul.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself, finally leaning back from her eager touch and lips lest he lose himself again, The Reaper carefully began using his many appendages to undo her layers of clothing. He wasn't too fast; he wanted to savor this moment, wanting to see her naked body laid out before him on top of the comforter. He admittedly couldn't help the small chortle that erupted out of his mouth as he removed her jacket and outerwear, one of her oddly fashioned tops peeking out underneath. This was another odd aspect of hers he found charming; her lousy sense of fashion. It was with an odd reverence that he worked at disposing of said shirt, lifting it off of her torso and tossing it to the side almost belatedly.

For underneath that, was something he had longed to gaze at for a long time now. Ever since he had gotten a small glimpse of them that one day, when she was in the lab wearing her oni top, had he wanted to see the full splendor of her breasts. He felt that same emotion once more, watching them jiggle slightly in the confines of her bra, though he felt it was different than before, more intense. Now, now he could take his time and appreciate them fully, using the superior sense of his tentacles to his advantage.

Her bra too, was seamlessly removed from her person, exposing her large breasts. The Reaper could barely contain himself at the sight; feeling an intense heat pool through his body, watching as his skin changed color once again to a deep pink. He used his main hands for this; his two pronged fingers gently cupping the bottom and sides of her mounds, moving their traction every so often to her budding center, focusing every sense of his on the soft skin beneath him. It was euphoric to him, the feeling of her silk like skin along with the pleading gaze she threw his way. And he hadn't even really begun to do anything yet! He wondered how she would react once he really got going; the thought making his body tremble as an odd noise escaped his mouth.

He then focused on removing her bottom layer, thankful for his many arms that could still sensuously pleasure her all the while; they never left her jiggling breasts, nipples finally perked with excitement. It took only a little effort, him being more focused on the top of her body, for him to remove her bottoms. His eyes only traced down to her thighs, tentacles slowly wrapping themselves around them and lifting them up slightly. Aguri let out a small squeal of surprise, making him stop as he felt one of his 'hands' start to crawl toward her spread legs. She reassured him a moment later, tiny fingers wrapping around his circular sucker, caressing it gently.

"It'll be alright. I'm still a...virgin, though...I understand it...might hurt. Please, Mr.Reaper…" She pleaded, panting in between words. Her words made him freeze, a chill running down his body. He had thought as much, seeing as how Aguri's sexual life with Yanagisawa was nonexistent. The thought that he would be her first, and possibly only, filled him with an odd excitement. It was somewhat belied by a nervous thought in the back of his mind; this was also his first time, would he be able to do what was required of him? With this body, this inhuman, terrifyingly misshapen body? He only needed to look into Aguri's eyes for confirmation, their steadfast gaze reassuring him once again. He felt one of his tentacles tremor wildly then, doing his best to subdue it's wild movements lest he lose control before anything began, finally starting to understand what was happening.

He easily and carefully slipped his sucker out of her grasp, lowering his head once again down to be level with her face, feeling his entire body burn with lust. He could only stare into her eyes, trying to read the expression he found there, a soft grin on his blushing face. The Reaper did the best he could with his odd mouth, puckering his lips together as if he was human, gently pressing them down against the skin of her cheek. He felt the heat there, as well as the shudder that passed through her body at his touch, making his heart beat rapidly against his frame. Taking it as a good sign, he continued along the base of her jaw, only stopping briefly as he felt the exhale of air from her gasping lips against his skin.

He had barely begun to insert his sucker into the pink folds of her vagina, brushing up against a particular bumpy area, hearing her cry out slightly from the intrusion. He wasn't sure if the noises she was making were from pain or pleasure, his other limbs still taking their time on her breasts. Damn his lack of experience in this area; he had had girlfriends yes, but nothing that went farther than a single date or two. Nothing that had ever led to this. He was conflicted; part of him wanted to stop and check if she was alright, her writhing body shuddering beneath him.

The shaking and wavering tenor of her pleading voice below him, desperately calling out for more, bade him to continue. He was careful as he rubbed up against her wavering clit, liking the texture of the thing against his sucker. He could feel every moment it pulsed, shuddered and used that to his advantage, Aguri letting out moans of pleasure every time he rubbed up against a certain section.

"Yes, Mr.Reaper! That's good…"

He answered by placing his lips against her own, understanding her need as if it were his. It might as well have been, going by the reactions his own body had started to give off. Her lips were soft, mich like her skin, though slightly cracked in places. Probably due to the chill weather. He didn't mind in the least; only deepening the kiss as he felt her moan again.

He carefully used his sucker, taking his other one to resuming his fondling of her clit and began to explore inside, enjoying the feeling of her wettening walls as they pulsed in a steady rhythm. He could feel himself also start to become wet, one particular tentacle coating itself in slime. He understood what that meant, the throbbing and pulsating appendage nearly making him want to cry out desperately, though he hesitated slightly as he brought said appendage to his front. Thankfully, his body didn't fully follow the conventions of humans or cephalopods, which was what allowed him to twist and turn at these odd angles.

He could see the lust, the pure need in her gaze as Aguri locked eyes with him for a brief moment. He felt something similar stir within his being as well; where exactly it came from he wasn't too sure. He just followed its command, the same single, wiggling tentacle moving dangerously close to her dripping entrance, singly focused on the woman beneath him.

Using his suckers to gently part her wet folds, he carefully and gently inserted his large appendage into her opening. The feeling of being wholly enveloped by her, her walls pulsating against him, tightening their hold on him made him gasp in surprise. The small woman below him held no such qualms however, her voice trembling as she cried out.

"Yeeesss, Mr.Reaper!"

He only responds in the best way he can think of, pressing his mouth against hers once more, wanting to feel her lips move as she cried out the moniker he had used for most of his life. It was refreshing to hear, made his heart lift with joy. The name that he had long ago associated with death and hatred, to be called out so innocently, so purely by her, this singular woman who had changed his view on so many things in the short course of a year.

He wanted to hear it again, reaffirm her acceptance of him, everything that he was and will be. So he plunged his tentacle into her even further, letting out a slight moan himself as her tight walls ravished him. With his heightened senses, it was as if every inch of his length was enveloped by her, though he didn't doubt that was the case. She was a strong woman; this was probably nothing compared to the mental and emotional abuse she had endured because of her fiancé. If he could lighten that burden, only a small bit, then it would be worth it.

He felt himself press up against a tighter wall than before, his tentacle having a bit of trouble squeezing through it, realizing what exactly it was, making him stop moving. He took his mouth off of hers, much to Aguri's disappointment, before using his other tentacles to wrap around her body some more. He found his voice was shaky, coming out in gasping heaves despite his efforts to appear calm.

"This might hurt...Sorry."

He quickly pulls her closer, adjusting her from her position against the bed to cradle vertically against him. That way, he hoped, it would be a less painful angle for her. He began to pull out, letting out a groan as her pulsating walls still constricted around him. He then thrust against her with slightly more force, enjoying the moan of pleasure she let out as he felt a tremor run along his tentacle. He can barely contain himself, feeling an odd sensation start to build at the tip of his appendage. It was a pressure, different from the one Aguri was causing, and anxiety swept through him as he felt something start to leak out. It was different from the slime, the pressure growing in intensity every time he pistoned against her.

The Reaper just tries to focus on Aguri, keeping her steady as she began to buck on top of him. He could feel her walls tightening around him, causing him immense pleasure, his tentacle rubbing up against any inch of her that he could find. She only cried out as he thrust in a particular spot, his heart beating rapidly as he repeated the motion. Yes, this was it; that expression of pure bliss on her face. That was what he wanted to see. He could feel himself starting to expand, the pressure on his tip becoming too great to ignore now. But he couldn't; he had no idea what that might do to her.

His train of thought was broken, Aguri's body finally responding as he felt a warm wash of her liquids spew forth. They coated his tentacle, even going so far as to drip outside, making him shudder in delight, another moan escaping past his mouth. He felt his body answer her then, thrusting against her once, twice, before he finally felt his own tentacle start to come, heat flushing through his being. He felt Aguri's arms start to wrap around his neck, her flush breasts and taut nipples poking against his robes. He would have gasped at feeling her orgasm a second time beneath him, if not for the fact that his lips and tongue were currently otherwise occupied. Her kiss this time was more forceful, invasive, her tongue exploring the depths of his mouth. He just let her take control, enjoying the feeling of her tongue against his.

That only made him more aware of his own problem; his tentacle inside her trembling uncontrollably as he felt the pressure build up. He only exhaled sharply, trying to withdraw despite the pleasuring tightness of her walls wrapping around him. The suddenness of his action made her stop, tongue unwinding from his as she began to separate her mouth from his, a strand of saliva hanging off the edge of her lips.

"What are...you doing?" Her question made him freeze, fear, anxiety and confusion flashing across his face all at once.

"A-Aguri...I'm not human; this stuff...could hurt you. I don't...want that…"

"I don't care. Even if it does, we only have a year left together...I'd rather not...worry about what...could happen. I want to...enjoy the time I have with you...now. So please, don't hold back for my sake…" He could only stare at her in complete shock, seeing the sincerity and honesty in her gaze. She meant it. The Reaper couldn't believe it; that she was willing to accept him so completely. It was unreal. The least he could do was honor her request, he figured. He began pumping into her with a renewed vigor, enjoying her tiny squeals and moans of delight every time he thrust against a particular area. He was determined to get her to the same plateau he was beginning to reach, so that they could finish together. Thankfully it didn't take him much longer, her juices enveloping him once again. Her small head was nestled in his shoulder, stifling the cry that erupted out of her lips. He felt himself release a moment later, her name escaping his lips in a loud cry, his warm, sticky fluids coating her entrance as he pulled out. She was quite full, the stuff dripping onto the sheets, a rosy pallor on her cheeks as the small woman looked up at him with glazed eyes.

"See? You did wonderfully, Mr.Reaper…"

He only held her against him silently, not sure of how to respond, waiting out the afterglow as best he could, relishing in the heat of her body and feeling of her skin as he wraps her in his large robes. She just stares up at him, eyes half lidded from fatigue or pleasure he could not tell. He could only focus on enjoying the feeling of her hand caressing his face, her head tilting upwards to plant a small kiss on the bottom of his chin. He could nestle his head against hers, happy and content that she was here, in his arms. He would never let anything bad happen to her, this small teacher who had brightened his life so much in only a year. He promised himself that, even as his consciousness began to drift from exhaustion.

"I love you, Aguri…"

 **AN: probably gonna end it after the next ch. making it an epilogue/more smut later.**


End file.
